Firebird
by Snow White The Brave
Summary: Legend speaks that a Firebird is born when fires of Hell merge with lights of Heaven. For Dean and Sam, myth becomes reality when they are saved by a Phoenix named Melilah. Things take a dramatic change when Heaven and Hell battle as Melilah becomes the key to unlocking a power that could save or destroy everything the world has ever known. Rated M for language and eventual smut.
1. You Give Me Wings

**A/N Hellooooo reader! I apologize in advance for the short intro chapter, but I think you'll thank me later :) This is the tale of a mythical Phoenix who comes into the lives of our favorite brothers, joining them in their quests, much like Castiel (who will make cameos in this story, I promise!) to aid them. Much of the lore on Phoenixes are of my own creation (mixed along with what they show has mentioned), as well as different mythological beliefs and lore. I do NOT own Supernatural or anything affiliated with it. If I did, I'd be having this Phoenix on that show. Oh yeah, baby. Enjoy the read and R/R! **

They say Phoenixes are born of Heaven and Hell… that they are the offspring of a volcanic eruption when it kisses the skies. In many ways, firebirds are angels –and demons- in their own light. They spread wings to fly, but breathe fire to burn. They need a vessel when they are not in their true form, and their powers are many. For millennia, Phoenixes have just been a myth, a legend for hunters. There weren't any erupting volcanos strong enough to have touched Heaven during an eruption… until Hell festered with one in aims to burn Heaven to the depths. Instead, the result was a fantastical creation of a beautiful bird blessed by God and cursed by Satan. Thus, the first Phoenix was born.

For thousands of years, it slept. It slumbered in the darkness of the volcano it was created from, content to wait until it was time to wake. It was the year 400 B.C, off the coast of the volcano's deserted island, of which to the day it remains elusive to humans and the supernatural alike. A ship was sailing in a storm, the volcano festering in the Phoenix's impatience. On the ship, members of an ancient Celtic royal family struggled to stay aboard and survive. But it was not to be. The oldest daughter, the princess Gwencalon, fell overboard the ship into the swallowing waves, carried far away from the ship, which later sank. The young princess washed up unconscious on the shores of the island, where an ancient islander tribe resided. They knew of the legend of the volcano and the Phoenix that slept within, and by the rumbling of the earth and the bursting of magma from the volcano, they knew it was time for the Firebird to awaken.

They took the Celtic princess and brought her to the volcano, where they chanted and danced and offered her as a vessel to the rising force. They witnessed as the lava boiled, bursting until a great swan with the most beautiful plumage and wing span flew from it's bed, flying around the volcano until it saw the girl. The Phoenix accepted the offer, and dived for the human body, the bird changing into light rays that filled the human body with light and flames, the body falling into the magma, until it burst from the heat and flew into the heart of the volcano. The body transformed. The girl's once brown hair become long and as scarlett as blood, her skin fair and lovely, her eyes as purple as the cosmos above. The tribe watched in awe as the Phoenix floated and descended to them, falling to her feet and worshipping her.

But she bade them not, beckoning them to stand. They watched as she strode within the middle of the crowd, admiring her new vessel. She kept most of the princess's features, the vessel having been enhanced to fit the Phoenix's personality. She was beautiful and fierce, gentle and just. But as the Phoenix looked ahead to watched the distant setting sun over the horizon of the blue ocean, she could only smile. She glanced to the Heavens and down to Hell, knowing exactly where she came from, and who she was.

But the Phoenix did not know only one thing. What was she supposed to do? What was her purpose here? Until she knew, she'd wait.

And wait she did.

For over two thousand years.


	2. I Dreamed a Dream

"Dammit, Sam! I'm so sick of this!" exclaimed a very irritated Dean Winchester as he and his brother Sam finally reached their motel room, dropping their equipment and things onto the floor or on a table, too tired to unpack anything or try and get settled. They wouldn't be here long anyway. Dean fell backwards onto the bed and put his pillow over his face, groaning as Sam settled at the little desk in the corner and pulled out his computer. They had just finished a job –a very painful job- concerning a vampire teaming up with a ghoul who had both been crazed with hunger for blood and flesh. It had taken place in the little Mississippi town they were currently staying in, where over fifty people had been killed. Violently. It hadn't been pretty. The brothers knew if Castiel, their angel guardian, hadn't swung in to help, they might've been eaten themselves.

"We're losing our grip, Sammy," murmured the older brother from under his pillow, not even bothering to change his clothes or get in the shower to try and scrub the grime from his hair. He was just too tired. The more people that seemed to die on these jobs, the more it bore down on the brash yet charming Dean. Ten long years of this –dare he calls it- career, it's been more of a weight than any regular human should have had to bear, he and his brother Sam. Taking the pillow off of his head, he looked over to see said brother silently clicking away on his laptop. Sam had been quiet. He usually was when jobs were harder than normal. Sam's face was hard and emotionless, his lips a tight line and his hazel eyes scanning the screen slowly. His hair was long, getting almost past his chin. A slight scruff was forming over his face, both of them haven't had a chance to shave for a few days.

Finding the willpower to stand, Dean's boots hit the wood floor as he took a seat next to Sam, who pretended not to acknowledge his brother. It's not that Sam didn't love his brother dearly, it's just that he had a tendency to shut everything out when he was in any kind of emotion turmoil. It had started after Jess had died, only worsening throughout the bittering years. He knew Dean meant well and thought it helped to talk things out- but he really didn't feel like talking right now.

"Sammy-"

"I know, De." Were the only three words the youngest Winchester would mutter throughout the rest of the night. Huffing, Dean sulked away to the bathroom, where he found the strength to shower.

He stepped out with a towel around his waist, skin still moist and damp from the water as he ran a smaller towel through his brown hair. He saw Sam curled up in his bed, having stripped of his clothes and now sleeping in his boxers. Dean smirked at his baby brother, picking out some nightclothes from his duffel before brushing his teeth and climbing into his own bed. But he didn't sleep… not for a while at least. He lay there in the dark motel room, thinking. As he usually did in the wee hours of the morning. Dean couldn't count the times he had questioned why he was doing all of this- giving up so much for so little reward. But it always came back to the same answer- it's what his father would have wanted. His mother would have wanted him to care for Sam, when his father was too revenge-ridden to do it himself. That was exactly what Dean lived for: caring for Sammy. Sammy came first.

But he often found himself wondering if there were other things he could have out of life. He had his brother, and very few friends and allies, and an occasional woman willing to share his bed, some more so than others, but those never lasted. Sometimes he wanted more… sometimes he wanted a good woman by his side, one who could handle this hardship he called his life, one who could comfort him when no one else could, could protect him when he needed to be protected. But often having such desires made him feel weak, that he needed to handle these things on his own and that he shouldn't thrust these burdens on anyone but himself. Dean just wasn't that kind of man.

Sleep eventually settled over the aggravated man, and for once, he was numbed to the world around him.

For once in a very long time, Dean Winchester dreamed. He felt heat surrounding him, but it was not a dangerous hear. It was a gentle heat, like the sun on a warm day or a campfire on a cold night. His surroundings were dark, but they slowly came to light as he saw a ring of fire appear over his head, illuminating around him. He was on a stone pathway, and the ring of light was leading up further up the path. Curious, Dean followed the ball of softly burning flames further up the narrow passage, his path only lit when he was near the fire. He found himself in the middle of a dark forest, the ball of fire stopping. But it began to fester and grow, changing shape and seemingly growing more dangerous. Dean found himself backing away as he watched the sphere transform into a majestic bird, what seemed to be the fortunate offspring of an eagle and a swan, the neck graceful and elongated, the body strong and the wings long and absolutely captivating. The plumage was red as blood, accented with gold, orange, and purple. The beak was curved, sharp and dangerous, but the bird's eyes were big and gentle, colored the most royal purple. Fire spiked off of the wings as the bird took flight around the little grove Dean was in, and all the hardened hunter could do was watch in awe. It was utterly gorgeous. Dean knew fully well what birds with abilities over fire were, and that they were dangerous and powerful and should be killed, like any other monster. But this bird… this _Phoenix_… meant him no harm.

It settled on a branch, folding it's wings and looking longingly at Dean, tilting it's head curiously at him. Walking slowly towards it, Dean extended a hand, the firebird reaching it's neck out to meet his touch, almost purring at the contact. It's feathers were the softest things he'd ever felt in his entire life. He stroked it's head, it's big eyes closing on contact. As it cooed, Dean smiled. He had met very few creatures in his life that never wanted to hurt anyone, and he felt a connection to the bird.

But the sweet moment was cut short as the bird suddenly looked up and around alertly, it's squawk sounding more like a singing note than a bird chirp. Dean looked around, watching as two groups of seemingly humans came from either side of the grove, one group bearing dark eyes and demon horns, the others bearing halos and wings. Both stared daggers at Dean, moving closer towards him and the phoenix. Demons held weapons and the angels wielded blades, stalking towards Dean with menacing expressions. It wouldn't be the first time Dean had been approached by angels or demons with the intent to kill him. Dean stood back against the branch, extending his arms out almost with the intent of protecting the phoenix. From behind him, the phoenix's feathers rose, and it's eyes grew slited as it spread it's large wings out. The angels and demons gave a shocked expression, both backing away as the wings began to fire up. The phoenix released a powerful song chord, the impact of the noise sending the other monsters off their feet. Dean hadn't seen anything like it. He turned to watch the bird take flight again, soaring around the trees, blasting fire at the demons and light at the angels, harming both. The bird flew back towards Dean, extending it's talons as it gripped him gently by the shoulders and took flight with him, the last thing Dean seeing were the intense purple eyes of the Phoenix who had saved him.

The older Winchester woke with a start, taking a moment to process what had just happened was a dream, a very intense one at that. He turned to see Sam still snoozing away, his bulked but lanky body spread across the bed in a very comedic position. Smirking, Dean looked at his watch, the time after noon. He huffed, cursing himself for sleeping in so much. But the job the night before had been difficult. Maybe he deserved a good rest. Standing up and dressing, he walked over to lightly smack Sam's cheek, who woke so violently that he fell off the bed.

"Rise and shine princess, we're back on the road." Said Dean as he packed up their stuff, whilst Sam sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes.

"I might've slept better if you didn't talk so much last night, jerk." Replied Sam.

"Bitch, I don't talk in my sleep."

"You did last night."

"What did I talk about?"

"You mumbled something about a Phoenix, how it saved you from an army of angels and an army of demons coming after you." Said Sam as he redressed and shoved his own things into his duffel.

"Weird. It was an interesting dream though." Was all Dean would say as he hauled his things out to the Impala, Sam following shortly thereafter.

Later on, Sam asked Dean about the dream, and Dean gave a surprisingly descriptive retelling of said dream, never really having had such vivid or memorable reveries before. Sam listened in silence, thinking as Dean described. Dean never talked in his sleep, which was why the younger brother had spent most of the night worrying about Dean when he had woken up to hear his brother murmuring in his slumber.

"Think it could be a vision?"

"I thought that was your freaky power, Sammy."

"Dean, think about it. You've seen some shit, and you've never dreamed about them before. Now all of a sudden you have this vivid dream that involves monsters trying to kill you and then you're rescued by one? Sounds like a prophecy to me, dude."

Dean just shrugged, not really wanting to think much of it. He didn't like the idea of having this psychic power like his brother, it just meant more trouble. But who knew? It could just be a dream. But a secret part of him believed Sam, or at least wanted to. What if it was a premonition he needed to be prepare for?

So many unanswered questions. He didn't want to think about them.

"I'll tell you what, Sammy. I'm finding the best shot of whiskey I can get my hands on when we reach Chicago. Clearly I'm too sober for this."


	3. Shook Me All Night Long

The drive from Ethel, MS to Chicago, IL was long for the two brothers, almost twelve hours with counting bathroom stops or resting. They would sleep in the car when both were too tired to drive, most of the highways dull and flat, given their location driving from the Midsouth towards the Midnorth. When they hit Chicago, it was nearly three in the morning, and Sam was passed out on the passenger's side, Dean very drowsy and road-weary. He had the Impala parked in a deserted parking lot what must've been a long abandoned counseling building. They were more so on the outskirts of the big city, not quite ready to face the lights and the loud just yet. Settling into his seat with one of his hoodies bunched up as a pillow, he folded his arms and tried to sleep a little. He slept for maybe an hour before his skilled ears picked up some activity a distance away. He opened one eye to see a group of men hanging out around the building, smoking and gesturing towards the Impala. The older man got defensive of course, but didn't quite make a move yet. It's only when he saw the men approaching the car did he take action. Nudging Sam softly with his foot, Dean whispered to him.

"Hey, we might be getting some trouble. You got that gun in the glove compartment?" asked Dean in a hushed tone. Sam blinked awake, noticed the situation, and nodded, sliding his long hand towards the compartment, trying to make as less obvious moves as possible. Dean kept an eye on the thugs, who were getting closer, cracking their knuckles and a few others brandishing knives and guns of their own. Probably would be a robbery attempt. Not on Dean's watch. He felt Sam slide the gun to him, and Dean picked it up, keeping it in his belt holster, his grip never leaving it. Before the thugs could get too close, Dean opened his door slightly so that they could hear him.

"Look, we don't want any trouble. Just turn around and no one gets hurt tonight."

The thugs just laughed, and Dean stepped out of the car, blood boiling. Sam followed suit, walking out around the car to stand by Dean's side, the younger man tall and strong. A few of the thugs were a little deterred by Sam's height, but they kept progressing. Keeping their hands on their weapons, the boys stood fast. But when they saw one of the thugs cock his pistol and aim, Dean cried "Now!" and rolled out of the way, Sam going opposite him. The bullet whizzed past the Impala's roof, the aim having been at Sam's head.

The fight broke out, and the brothers used knife, gun, and body to fight off the thugs, but a well placed aim with his regular gun proved that these thugs were not ordinary humans. The shot deflected right off of the thug he had shot, the thug grinning and his eyes turning black.

"Sam! They're demons!" exclaimed Dean as he continued to fend off the three thugs going after him. Sam was doing the same, trying to make his way back towards the Impala to look for the Colt. But before he could get there, he was tackled by one of the demon thugs, who pinned him down against the concrete and hissed into his face. Before the demon could wholly harm Sam, the demon turned it's head to the side and cried out in fright as a devastatingly strong kick came to it's face, knocking it off of Sam. Looking above him, Sam saw a hooded female figure jump gracefully over him and to the demon she had kicked, grabbing him by the throat and hoisting him into the air, where he disintegrated on contact, falling to the ground in a heap of ash. Befuddled, Sam could only lie there and watch. The head of the female turned towards him, and he could only make out a pair of bright purple eyes under the darkness of the gray hoodie she was wearing. One strand of curly bloodred hair came out from under the hood.

But a scream from Dean caught her attention, and she ran with a speed Sam could only deem supernatural. She performed a series of acrobatic tricks and attacks, kicking the thugs down and tossing them several yards away. The demon currently punching Dean met the most fatal demise thus far as the female jumped onto his back from behind, placed her hand right onto his face, his flesh burning right off. Dean was propped up on the ground, nursing a bloody lip, watching this with an expression of awe and terror. The body of the last demon fell to the ground in ashes, and she landed as gracefully as a cat, one leg sticking out with both arms stuck forward in the ground. Her head was down, but it slowly rose up to meet Dean, and he could make out a pair of strikingly familiar purple eyes underneath that hood. He held a gaze with the woman for a few moments before she merely nodded and dashed off, faster than a leopard. Both brothers stared after her for a while, wondering what they had just witnessed. More importantly, _what_ had saved them.

"Clearly, that wasn't human…" muttered Sam, standing up and going to help Dean up, his brother taking his hand and pulling him up. "No shit, Sherlock. What _was_ it?" Sam looked at Dean thoughtfully for a moment, waiting for Dean to process the truth. Sam had discerned this long ago. "Any particular creatures we know of that can incinerate on mere touch?"

Dean's eyes grew wide and he turned back to Sam, who raised his brows. "Don't be telling me a fucking Phoenix just saved our sorry asses…"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you. You know it's true."

Dean turned back in the direction where the woman had run off to. He wanted to run after her and tell her thank you, but with her speed, she was long gone. Sam patted Dean on the shoulder as he headed back to the car. Dean just stared absentmindedly for a moment before slowly turning around and getting back in the car. Had… had his dream just come true? It freaked him out. A lot. Shuddering, he started the car and they drove off towards the city, both brothers too high with adrenaline to be sleepy anytime soon.

They arrived in Chicago, the city still lively and colorful, even at five in the morning. It didn't take too long for them to find a cheap motel on the more sketchier areas of the big city, but they were used to this. Used to this kind of life. Sure, it had it's issues, but it's all the boys really knew. If they had the chance for anything better, they would have taken it long ago.

They slept until about eleven in the morning, much to Sam's displeasure of not having a full night's rest. Dean wasn't a sleeper, which explained the dark circles under his eyes and why he always looked so exhausted. Sam often wished his brother could ease up, but these things were hammered into Dean's head like a nail. There was, unfortunately, not much that could be done about that nail, and so the younger Winchester was left to only deal with it.

While Sam lost himself in research at his computer, Dean couldn't stop thinking about the previous night, where the mysterious feminine… for lack of a better word, monster, saved him. He sat at the table with Sam, hand on his chin and his gaze off in the mid distance as he buried himself in thought. His green eyes were glimmering with wonder, as he contemplated what exactly it was they had encountered. There were the demon thugs, obviously, but the creature that destroyed them with such ease… it blew his mind.

There were quite a few things that could kill a demon, or at least exorcise them from a body, but he witnessed this purple eyed phenomena burn every single demon to the ground with just a simple touch of her hand. His first initial thought was Holy Fire, but since when did Phoenixes have the power to exert holy fire onto their victims? It baffled him. Maybe this Phoenix was special or favored, much like many other creatures they've stumbled upon. He was only broken from his thought when his brother poked him in the arm.

"Dude, you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Dean can't help but chuckle.

"Nah, man. I can't get last night out of my head. What _was_ that? I've never thought a Phoenix could burn down a demon like that."

"I was thinking the same thing. Here," offered the taller man, turning his computer screen towards his brother. Dean looked curiaysously to see that Sam had been researching Phoenixes. Dean's eyes very quickly skimmed over the articles and essays that Sam had pulled up, a lot of them saying different things, such as appearances and abilities, none of them mentioning phoenixes with possession over Holy Fire, let alone fire strong enough to scold a demon to naught but ash. Dean did learn some valuable information during his scan though.

"Dude, check this out," he said aloud, turning the current page he was reading towards Sam, who bent over the table to take a look. "Legend speaks of an isolated island, hidden to all naked eyes in the Bermuda Triangle, this island housing the world's most powerful volcano on land. 400 B.C, a Celtic ship sunk near the island in a tsunami, all bodies sunk to the ocean, missing the body of a young princess supposedly onboard. After said tsunami, the volcano festered for the first time in five thousand years, where tribal records and local archeaologists believe the first evidence of a Phoenix was found. Local myth spoke of a young woman washing onshore of the island during the volcanic activity, where the tribe offered her up as a sacrifice to stop the volcano from erupting. The Phoenix was said to have been created from the collision of the volcano's first eruption, so powerful it touched the sky. The firstborn of an affair with Hell and Heaven created a creature with powers of angels and demons alike, a fire-winged hybrid."

"So, an angelic demon? Demonic angel?" asked Sam after Dean paused from what he read. Dean paused and ran his hand across his scruff, thinking. This legend certainly seemed to fit their suspect. If this phoenix had powers over angels AND demons, it wasn't a wonder that said phoenix was able to fry those infant demons on mere touch.

"It says that the Phoenix accepted the princess as a sacrifice, using her body as a vessel, and now continues to wander the earth, amongst humankind, or in isolation. Nobody knows what happened to it."

"Does it say who wrote this article?"

"A… um… Dr. Tommy Macknamera. Professor of Historical Lore at Roosevelt University. Looks like he lives here in Chicago."

"Guess we'd better pay our historical lore man a visit."


	4. Looking Through Your Eyes

Chicago was big, not what the boys were used to. They were used to small, isolated towns that nobody had ever heard of. But nope, here they were, stuck in a traffic jam while trying to find the university. The bright side was, it wasn't hard to find. It was next to one of the tallest, flashiest buildings in the city. It was giant and ancient, definitely a historical trademark.

It looked like any ordinary college campus, with the pretty surroundings and nicely cut lawns. Parking the Impala a distance away from the campus. Finding a map, Sam navigated them towards the floor where most of the history classes took place, and where most of the related professors set up office. It didn't take long to find the office of Dr. Macknamera, with the assistance of some students. They found themselves sitting in the waiting room, the assistant of the professor typing away at her desk.

"Sure about this, Dean?"

"Sure as the brand on my chest." Replied Dean, patting over his anti possession tattoo. Sam nodded and looked ahead, noticing the girl at the desk making eyes at him. Sam just smiled politely, and saw her gaze flicker to Dean, her sensual grin increasing. But as Sam looked over to Dean, he noticed his older brother looking down at his hands, fidgeting. Which was weird. Dean had an absolute knack for knowing when women were making eyes at him, but he was deliberately _ignoring_ the girl looking at him. Sam didn't know why exactly, the girl was decent looking. Something else was on his brother's mind.

"Send them in, Sherri!" came a voice from the more isolated office room. Sherri nodded to Sam, who had been listening for their cue. Dean stood, keeping his gaze down with hands in his pockets as they passed Sherri's desk and into the professor's office. Sam could've sworn he heard a little pout coming from Sherri as they passed inside and closed the door. They were greeted by a shorter man, who seemed in his mid fifties, short and stocky with graying hair on the sides and a traditional mass of facial hair across his face. His blue eyes twinkled with his cheeky smile. He seemed like a friendly enough guy, which was saying something considering who Sam and Dean usually dealt with.

"Welcome, boys! Dr. Thomas Macknamera, at your service. What can I do for you?" asked the professor as the two men sat themselves at the chairs in front of the teacher's grand desk, complete with a desktop computer and the like.

As they usually did before lying and making up some kind of story as to why they were here, the brothers looked at one another. Sam nodded to Dean, who took the lead.

"Professor, we're in your "History and Myths" class and we were wondering if we could ask you about the essay you wrote on the Phoenix born from Hell's Fire and Heaven's light." Said Dean coolly, practiced with such things. Dr. Macknamera nodded with his lips pursed, eyebrows raised.

"Sure you can. What do you want to know?"

The next hour consisted of questioning the very "educated on folk lore and myths" professor, the boys gathering some valuable information concerning their Phoenix.

"Has it ever been said what the Phoenix looked like as a human?" asked Sam.

Dr. Macknamera shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "There have been a few different accounts, from both tribal records and stories. She's often been described as 'fair-skinned' and 'otherworldly beautiful' with long hair the shade of blood, and –this one is a definite yes to all accounts I've read- purple eyes."

Both men perked up at hearing the doctor mention the purple eyes, the two of them having witnessed that very detail in the previous night's scuffle. Dean trained his ears, wanting every single detail he could grasp. Sam noticed how intensely Dean was listening, and it was starting to freak him out. Ever since the run-in with the Phoenix, his brother had been acting strange. Sam assumed it all was related to the dream Dean had, maybe this creature _was_ supposed to protect him against something that was coming.

Sam wasn't wrong. Dean hadn't been able to stop thinking about the dream or the encounter. He knew this all wasn't just a coincidence, and he wanted to be prepared for anything that was coming; even if that meant finding the Phoenix.

"Of course, had such a woman been seen, we'd have seen her by now. It's pretty rare you find a pretty blood redhead with bright purple eyes." Said the doctor, popping open a box of mints and placing one into his mouth.

After glancing at each other, Sam spoke again, leaning further forward until his elbows were resting on his knees. "Do you know if the Phoenix would be living amongst people, or maybe out on her own where she wouldn't be found?"

"Beats me. If she _wanted_ to be found, she would have done so by now."

The brothers bid the professor goodbye and departed, after getting a recommendation from the professor on the best bar on campus. It used to be a gentleman's club, and was much better kept than any other regular bars. After finding a motel to stay in for the night, the boys got cleaned up from the road and headed for the bar, determined to relax a little.

The professor wasn't joking when he said it was one of the best kept bars they'd ever go to. The furnishings were old but they were well preserved, the tables nice and the counter sleek. The place didn't reek of smoke and booze, but smelled pleasantly of cologne and oak. The bar was called _The President_, named after the college whose U.S president was named for. It was classy, and the boys didn't mind in the slightest. They seated themselves at the bar and ordered their drinks, most of the bar's patrons upper class students and professors who weren't here to get absolutely wasted or knocked up. Honestly, it was kind of nice. No drunken brawls tonight, boys.

The bartender, a nicely kept middle aged man who seemed like he also could be a butler part time, gave Sam and Dean their drinks, smiling politely as he whipped out his rag to wipe up some spills on the counter. Looking around, Sam noticed some sorority girls making googly eyes and him and Dean. Sam smiled flirtatiously, nudging Dean, who turned and saw the girls, gave a stiff nod, and turned back to his drink. Sam raised his brow and turned away from the girls, eyeing Dean.

"Dude, you alright? You've been acting, well… not yourself ever since last night." Sam said softly, background music playing just loud enough so that the other patrons wouldn't overhear them. Dean was silent for a moment, taking a quick shot of his lime vodka.

"I don't know, Sammy. I had that dream and now it seems like it's all unfolding in front of me. If what I saw is true, then I need to find this phoenix. If more groups of angels and demons come after me…" Dean trailed off, needing to blink off the sudden wooze the alcohol was bringing him.

"You'll be fine, Dean. We'll talk to Cas tomorrow, see what he knows."

"I don't know if he'll exactly be okay with the idea of finding this… woman-phoenix, thing."

"If he didn't like it, he would have stopped us by now." Replied Sam, downing his drink as well. Dean just shrugged. After about twenty minutes in comfortable silence, just listening to the music and the mindless chatter of the people, the lights dimmed and everyone murmured excitedly as they turned towards the stage set opposite across the way from the counter.

"What's going on?" asked Dean softly as they spun their chairs to face the stage, a spotlight shining like moonlight on the curtain. The bartender overheard Dean, figuring he was new around these parts for asking such a question.

"You, my dear boy are about to have the pleasure of hearing the most lovely voice this side of the hemisphere. She's a Performing Arts student here at the college. Sings here on the weekends for a part time job. Her name is Melilah. Melilah Firesong."

Applause sounded as the curtain opened, the eyes of both boys going wide as they witnessed one of the most stunningly beautiful women they had ever seen in their entire lives enter through the curtain. It was a younger woman, about 25 in age, with the most luscious and thick red hair, deep like roses and blood, curly and long. It's length reached past her hips. She was very pleasantly shaped, with a generous bust size, tapering into a slender waist with strong hips and a rounded backside. Her arms were muscular, like she did her fair share of labor. Her skin was very fair and white, not a blemish to be seen. She wore a simple black, strapless pencil dress that hugged her curves, and Dean had to make sure he wasn't drooling.

But as his eyes wandered up her form, he arrived at her face, and felt his heart almost stop. Her face was heart shaped, with a cute button nose hovering above full, sultry red lips that were curled into a soft, shy smile. Dean looked almost desperately at her eyes, wanting to see what color adorned such a beautiful being. When the shy gaze of the woman finally came up, her bright blue eyes met his green ones. Dean was still transfixed by the beauty of the woman, but a part of him had wished that the color of her irises would have been purple.

Once their gazes locked, she gave Dean a very sweet smile, gazing down shyly again before holding the microphone up to her sensual red lips. Sam had to smack Dean in the arm to break his brother's trance, Dean's jaw halfway to the floor and his eyes bugged out. "She's something, huh?" asked the younger Winchester, smirking at Dean's utter entrancement. Dean tried to form words, he really did. But all Sam could hear was gibberish. Only when the young woman spoke did all attentions shift back to her.

"Thank you for having me out here tonight. I want to open with a very special song, and I want to dedicate this song to a very special person," she said, her voice pure honey and sugar, sultry but sweet as she locked gazes with Dean again. The oldest Winchester swore that he was going to need to go to the hospital for heart arrhythmia. She smiled again, looking around at the bar patrons. "And I want all of my ladies out there to hold their special person close too."

Melilah nodded to the accompanying guitarist and pianist, who both nodded and began to play a very soft tune, where a few doting couples stood from their seats and gathered to the small dance floor in front of the stage, slow dancing together as they gazed dreamily into each other's eyes. The gorgeous redhead was sitting down on a lounge chair placed up onto the stage, her eyes closed for the time being as she readied herself. Dean sat in his stool, drink long forgotten and Sam watching amusedly next to him, never having seen his brother so smitten by someone before.

Melilah's voice sounded out into the microphone, her voice pleasing and soft, like she was crooning a lullaby.

_"Look at the sky_

_Tell me, what do you see?_

_Just close your eyes_

_And describe it to me…_

_The heavens are sparkling with starlight tonight…_

_That's what I see through your eyes… _

_I see the heavens_

_Each time that you smile_

_I hear your heartbeat_

_Just go on for miles_

_And suddenly I know my life is worthwhile…_

_That's what I see through your eyes…_

_Here in the night_

_I see the sun_

_Here in the dark_

_Our two hearts are one…_

_It's out of our hands_

_We can't stop what we have begun_

_And love just took me by surprise…_

_Looking through your eyes…"_

Dean listened and hung onto every word, and he didn't know why. He watched the woman sing, her face contortioning into different emotions as the sound flew from her voice. But as the song ended, her eyes closed, and they opened again, looking straight at Dean. But this time, Dean seriously nearly had a heart attack. Her eyes were no longer blue. They were purple. As bright and purple as a lavender meadow. As he gazed intensely into her eyes, she gazed right back, her expression just as serious as his own, like she meant what she was singing, and that she was singing. To him. For him.

_"Looking through your eyes…"_

**Song: "Looking Through Your Eyes"**_  
_

**Movie: Quest for Camelot**

**Artist: LeAnn Rhymes**


	5. Friend Like Me

Dean was sure there was no question anymore. They had found their phoenix, the creature that had saved them the night before. He waited impatiently for the remainder of Melilah's performance to conclude, the audience insisting on encores and the repeating of certain songs, the woman's voice like a drug. Around midnight, the redhead concluded her performance and took a bow, finding a standing ovation from the crowd, which had increased dramatically since she had begun to sing.

She exited out of the curtain behind her, waving goodbye to the adoring crowd, smiling like a million bucks. Dean admired the way her white teeth flashed off of the spotlight, her eyes having long since turned back to blue. She had kept them purple for him to see, and long enough for Sam to notice as well, both of the brothers sure of what they had seen. As the woman waved to the crowd, her gaze met Dean's, and she smirked, her eyes very quickly flashing purple before changing back to blue.

She was taunting them. She wanted them to follow her. As they finished their drinks and set up the tab, the brothers dashed outside to get out of the crowd and wait for the woman to exit the building. She couldn't be hard to miss, now that they knew what they were looking for.

"Looks like she _wanted_ to be found, De." Said Sam, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning up against the brick wall of the building. Dean had his hands on his hips, pacing slowly back and forth, looking towards the exit of the building and then around towards the back to keep an eye out for her. He didn't know why he was so nervous, but he was. The way she had been looking at him all night, the eyes and the smiles and the-ugh! She _knew_, dammit! She_ knew_. She knew that she had saved their butts from the demons the night before. He had seen the recognition on her face. She wouldn't be able to deny it.

"Dean, would you settle? It's like your first date all over again."

"Don't remind me, Sammy."

It took about twenty more minutes, but if Dean hadn't been looking in the direction he had at the exact moment he was looking, they would have missed her. A flash of deep red hair and fair skin came out of the backstage door, she seemingly dressed in a much more comfortable fashion than what she had been wearing inside. She was in a black hoodie with black leggings, a pair of flat black shoes allowing her to walk speedily across the street and down the sidewalk. Dean practically grabbed Sam and was dragging him after her, the woman walking so fast she may as well have been jogging. Her hair was long and flouncing down her back, her hands in her hoodie pockets with a small bag draped across her chest.

They followed her down a ways towards some apartments where they could only assume she lived. But they were still a good two hundred yards behind her when they saw some activity up ahead. Another group of men, and a couple women approached Melilah, laughing and brandishing their fists, knives, and even a couple guns. The boys began to run towards her, but they didn't hear any screaming come from her direction. If anything, they thought they heard her chuckle.

"Really, jackknobs?"

The Winchesters stopped dead in their tracks as they witnessed what unfolded before them. Two werewolves, three vampires, a wraith, a demon, and a ghoul all reveal parts of their true forms, having taken vessels of their own. Melilah just put her hands on her hips and shrugged nonchalantly. Almost like, "Meh, this is Chicago. This shit happens daily."

"We've been sent to kill you, Phoenix…" hissed the wraith as the monsters circled around the redhead. Melilah only laughed. "How thoughtful. Let me guess, Lucifer? Raphael? Oh no, it was Virgil, wasn't it? He still can't get over the fact that I won the damn bow from him."

"It doesn't matter who sent us, all that matters is that someone wants you dead, and is willing to pay a good price for your ashes." Crooned a female vampire, baring her long fangs as they circled around the smug firebird.

"Killing you will make a great tale." Barked the werewolf, going down on all fours as it stalked towards the Phoenix.

"Too bad none of you will live to tell it."

With a mere stomp of her foot, the phoenix summoned a giant ring of white-hot flames, sending all of the creatures within the ring burning –quite literally- to Hell, screeching like banshees. But the ones on the outside of the ring lived, including one of the werwolves, a vampire, and the demon. The ring calmed and they attacked the redhead, who began to fight back. The boys dashed closer to aid her, but reached her in time to see her scrunching the last of the demon's ashes in her hand as she let it drop. She turned back to face the boys, who were both shocked and confused. She smiled, putting her hands on her hips.

"Just in time, boys."

Dean and Sam just stared at her, mouths dropped and hands instinctually on their gun holsters. Melilah noticed their motions and put her hands up defensively, a smug grin on her ruby lips.

"I ain't gonna hurt you boys. I don't think I would have led you here if I didn't want you to follow me."

"So you wanted us to come?" asked Sam, panting a little heavily from their still long and hurried trip over here. Melilah nodded, putting her hands down and turning to face the ashed bodies of her enemies, twirling her left hand around in spinning motions, the ashes flying up and gathering around her. With a sweeping motion, she sent the ashes around, landing them in the little gardens around the apartment areas. Ashes that phoenixes burnt their enemies from were full of nutrients, perfect for plant soil.

"So you were the one that saved us from those demon thugs last night?" asked Dean, voice almost shaking as he struggled to form words. Melilah nodded again, turning back towards the boys, her smug grin replaced with a softer look. "I've been trying to keep the monster level down around these parts of the world for years, but it keeps getting worse. I fear there's an army growing to enslave all humankind, and all creatures susceptible to such things. Not just demons and vampires and wraiths, but angels and leviathans too. I think you boys would understand that better than anybody."

"So you know who we are?"

"Sam and Dean Winchester, hunters of the supernatural. Avengers of family and friends, defenders of humankind, no matter how little or much you are appreciated or scorned. Yes, I know who you are." Replied the redhead smoothly, folding her arms as she walked closer towards them.

The brothers stood their ground but relaxed no little, still needing to keep their guard up around a creature that could smite a whole group of powerful monsters in mere seconds. Melilah smiled softly, noticing their stiffness.

"Come inside, I'll explain everything I can. Don't worry; I couldn't harm you even if I tried."

The boys walked into the apartment behind the redhead, the apartments definitely more so for the upper class rich students who either came into inheritance or whose parents were definite wing jobs. Melilah's apartment was very nice and very high tech, with lots of lighting and bright décor. It almost made Dean think these are what dorms in Heaven looked like. But Melilah had thrown in some definite aspects of her more fiery half, with artwork and decorations of fire.

"Make yourselves at home, I haven't had visitors over for a very long time," said Melilah as she set her purse on the kitchen island counter and headed off towards her bedroom, pulling off her hoodie as she went. Dean caught a glimpse of skin as she walked around the corner, Sam smacking him to grab his attention.

"I guess she's been waiting for us."

"Oh, you think?"

"According to what just happened, she's been hunting monsters, same as us. I don't know why we haven't ever heard of her before. Dad knew every hunter from the west coat to the east." Sam said softly, not wanting for their current host to overhear their conversation.

"Maybe she's not an official hunter. Maybe she's just doing what she knows is right, like us." Said Dean, admiring the décor around the house as Sam did the same.

"Maybe. We still have a lot to ask her –who she is, where she came from, why she's here."

"My name is Melilah Firesong, I was born of heaven's light and hell's fire over five thousand years ago. I have lived in this vessel for just a little over two thousand of those years after the tribe residing on my island offered up the body of a dying Celtic princess named Gwencalon to me. After my true form inherited the body, Gwencalon's spirit was sent safely to heaven in exchange for her form. I have been around the world, trying to discover my purpose and my task. During that time, I have been honing my skills and seeking out ways to keep myself better protected against the forces of the evil supernatural who often approach me for my ashes, often on the errand of someone with a price on my head. I've been on the run, like you. For my whole existence. Any other questions?" said a very blunt Melilah as she came around the corner with a purple T-shirt replacing the hoodie she had been wearing.

She had overheard the entire conversation, her enhanced hearing not really helping. Sam and Dean exchanged glances, Dean taking the lead of conversation and shaking his head no. "That seems to sum up what we needed to know about you, but why haven't we heard of you? From anyone we've met who may have encountered you before?"

"I've very good at burning my traces. Most creatures who face me don't live to tell the tale. The ones who do survive don't really like to talk about it. I've only ever had a slightly friendly encounter with an angel once or twice, one who merely sought information on the side we were both fighting against. But the remainder of them were often seeking a challenge. I can only kill an angel when I'm armed with a very specific weapon and my powers are synced with a very specific setting."

"You mentioned something about winning a weapon from Virgil? The weapons-keeper of heaven?" asked Sam curiously after turning away from a painting of a phoenix flying across an ocean of fire.

"Yeah. The bastard approached me wanting a competition of weaponry. We bet over it, and I won. The Bow of Abel, to be exact."

"The Bow of Abel?"

"Adam and Eve bore two sons in the beginning. Cain and Abel. You know about Cain, that he's locked in Hell and tortures thousands of souls by the minute? He killed his brother Abel, before all of that. Cain was cursed, doomed to Hell from the start. Abel's spirit was blessed and he channeled his power into a bow crafted by God's hands. It hasn't been talked about a whole lot, probably because it's one of the most destructive and most lethal weapons against all creatures, including angels. There are Arrows of Abel too. When Cain slaughtered his brother, Abel's blood watered the oldest tree in existence, and arrows crafted from that tree can pierce and kill absolutely any creature. Even Leviathans and dragons, who are more often than naught nearly indestructible." Described Melilah, leading them to a painting of the tree she had hanging over one of the sofas.

Sam and Dean listened intently, fascinated by the information they were gathering. Melilah has had thousands of years to kill, and she has seemed to have spent her time wisely. "Since Abel was Eve's son, he shares her blood, and so you can understand why these arrows can kill most creatures, Mommy Monster's blood can kill them."

"We've only encountered another Phoenix once, and his powers didn't extend even closely to yours. Why are your abilities more prominent and more powerful?" asked Dean, seating himself on the couch next to Sam, while their redheaded host reclined in a lounge chair across from them.

"I think it was because of how I was made. Two of the strongest forces we've ever known combined intimately only once, and I was the offspring of that union. For once, Heaven and Hell could exist together, but only for that moment. That moment made… well, this." Said the phoenix, gesturing to herself. "My God loved me, but my Satan mostly grudged me. I'm more so bound to God and Heaven rather than Lucifer and Hell, the latter resenting me for possessing abilities over him. I only seek to do what's right, gentlemen. I'm not like a monster you've ever met."

"That's saying something," Sam offered with a smile. The redhead smiled back. Dean gazed at the woman softly, watching her smile. It was a genuine smile, a loving smile. In a few aspects, she seemed more woman than monster. Hell, Dean didn't even consider her a monster, just a beautiful woman with a few freaky powers. He thought he'd seen it all. Meeting Melilah Firesong just proved him how wrong he really was.


	6. Do You Want to Smite A Demon?

Melilah had welcomed the boys to stay with her for the time being, a guest room adjacent to the living room with two single beds complete with comforters and the softest mattresses they had laid on in years. The phoenix had opened up her home to them, the boys welcome to anything they needed. Dean took full advantage, now horking down three quarters of a pie Melilah had in her fridge. He hadn't been sure at first, but Melilah assured him that she rarely slept, and she didn't really eat a lot of human food.

They had canceled their reservation at the grungy motel and had retrieved their car, both boys settled comfortably in the nice apartment, Sam watching some show about zombies and the Apocalypse. He couldn't help but scoff. Dean was currently sitting at the table, eating at the pie hungrily as Melilah folded some laundry on the couch opposite Sam, laughing at his disbelief on the show.

"I'd recommend _Doctor Who_ over _The Walking Dead_ any day, Sam. Should be on the BBC channel." Mentioned the fireheaded woman, who had long since allowed her eyes to stay their natural purple, not needing to hide what she really was. Sam smiled and used the remote to change the channel to the BBC, where Doctor Who just happened to be playing.

":Isn't this the show about the alien Time Lord who travels around in a big blue police box?"

"It's bigger on the inside," said the woman with a wink. As Sam was warped into the wibbly wobbly timey wimey crazy of Doctor Who, Melilah found herself crossing over the kitchen towards her room with a basket of folded laundry. Dean was just finishing up the pie, licking his chops contently. Melilah smiled behind his back, admiring the handsome older man. She had seen pictures of the oldest Winchester but admitted he was even more captivating in person. His bright green eyes were smoldering with life and his stubbly and slightly freckly face was shaped to perfection. There were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep and a long, difficult adulthood. But they suited him. He was strong and brimming with power he didn't know he had.

But the phoenix knew in time, he would know.

"Tummy full yet?" asked the lady as she crossed him towards her room, plopping the basket on her bed before walking back out to greet Dean, hands on her hips as she faced him across the counter, leaning forward onto it. Her generous bust laid comfortably against the cool marble, and Dean couldn't help but notice. The man smirked and nodded, tossing the box into the trash and the fork he was using into the sink.

"Thanks for taking us in. It's the nicest place we've stayed in for… well, a while." Dean said, pursing his lips and looking around appreciatively, loving that there were no suspicious stains on the walls or questionable substances in the bathroom. Melilah smiled and looked away shyly.

"It's really no problem. It's nice to have some pleasant company here for a change. Most guests I get barge in and try to kill me," she said with a chuckle. Dean couldn't help but smile with her. "You live alone, then? Have any friends or… a significant other?" Dean asked, a little more cautiously on the latter question. Melilah just shook her head.

"No, mostly just fans who've heard me sing try and socialize with me after hours at work, but I rarely talk to anyone. I've been alone for five thousand years, I'm used to it." She offered with a casual shrug.

"You just seem so collected and casual about everything, it's impressive."

"I've had plenty of time to adapt."

Dean chuckled and the woman smirked. He liked this girl's spunk and her confidence. One would think two thousand years of time to experience and try every time period would be plenty enough to know a lot of things.

"You've stayed extremely elusive and you've been everywhere. You seem to be pretty well off financially too. How have you managed all that?" asked the curious Dean, having leant over the counter closer towards her.

"I keep my records clean and I have plenty of aliases to go by if needed. I've come into plenty of inheritances over the last two millennia. I don't live anywhere super fancy so I don't draw too much attention to myself. I'm also pretty consistently on the move, I've got quite a few places across the nation if I need to skip town."

"Smart. Time has certainly been in your favor, hasn't it?"

"You have no idea." Said the redhead sassily with a smug smirk up towards Dean, who was taller than her by a few inches as his seat made him sit taller over the counter. Dean could only smile back, fighting the irresistible urge to lean down and plant a kiss on those full, sensual red lips. The two hunters shared a moment, smiling softly into each other's eyes, purple meeting green.

Melilah hadn't ever felt such a powerful urge to love someone ever before. Often she was emotionless towards most humans, but this human was making her_ feel_ things. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, but she was just rolling along with what was going on, shamelessly flirting with Dean. Her eyes flickered towards the clock. Almost three in the morning. She didn't want to keep the boys up. They were still human and needed sleep. Smiling again at Dean, she softly patted his cheek before standing up straight and walking towards Sam, who was engrossed in watching David Tennant yell "Allons-y!" inside the TARDIS. Running a hand through his hair, Melilah chuckled as she woke the dozing Winchester.

"C'mon, big guy. Get some sleep," she said teasingly, like a mother whose child was fighting to go to bed. Sam was too tired to argue. He stood and went to his room. As the boys changed for bed and climbed in, Melilah turned off the T.V and washed the fork Dean was using, placing it into the dishwasher. She greeted them and found them both in bed, still awake.

"Are we comfortable?" she asked with a smile, staying by the doorway with a hand on the door and the other on her hip. Both boys nodded, but before she could turn away, Sam spoke up.

"Melilah, do you think you could do us a favor?"

"Of course, what do you need?" she asked softly, walking further into the room to stand by Sam's bedside. Sam glanced away shyly, a tiny of red coming to his cheeks. He was embarrassed to ask, but he knew it would help both he and his brother. That had been proven back at the bar.

"When you sang tonight, we both felt so at home and so at peace that we didn't feel the merciless weight of the world on our shoulders the entire time. Do you think you can… sing again?" Melilah gazed curiously at Sam, surprised at the request. She wasn't put off in the slightest, she was actually quite flattered. She didn't know her voice had such an effect on them, and she wanted to help the two weary hunters anyway she could. If singing them a lullaby would help them rest, she'd do it in a heartbeat.

"Of course I'll sing for you, Sam. You too, Dean," said the redhead softly, patting Dean on his back, where he had been turned towards the wall to hide his own embarrassment. He had actually begged Sam to ask her, too scared to do it himself. He wanted to hear that beautiful voice again and feel the peace he had felt. He smiled as he felt her touch his back and confirm she'd sing for them. Melilah knelt at Sam's bedside first, scratching her nails soothingly over his back. She heard him sigh contentedly, and she continued, humming softly at first before beginning to sing. There was a particular song from a new animated movie she absolutely adored, and she changed the words around just for the men she was singing to sleep.

_"Boys…_

_Do you want to smite a demon? _

_Come on, let's go and fight…_

_It's lucky that we've met just now_

_Don't try and bow_

_To the evil we all face_

_I'm glad we're all together,_

_To face this threat_

_Now sleep, and be new again…"_

She waltzed over to Dean and scratched his back as well, bringing her hand up to run through his short hair as well, earning a satisfied groan from him. She continued, smiling as she comforted the boys.

_"Do you want to smite a demon? _

_It won't be only just demons…"_

Soon enough, both of the boys were asleep, snoozing away in a deep slumber that Melilah could only hope would give them the strength they so needed. Her only response to the first verse of her lullaby was a deep snore from Dean. She only smiled, standing up and walking to the door, shutting off the light and beginning to close the door.

_"Goodnight, boys…" _

She softly closed the door and lingered there for a moment, listening to the sounds of their snoring and deep sleep. She smiled, glad she was able to help them. But as she heard something teleport into her room, she froze. She detected an angel in the room with her, and by the smell and frequency of the angel, it was one she knew. One she hadn't seen for centuries. With her back still turned, she smirked.

"It's been a while, Castiel."

Sure enough, a familiar trenchcoat-wearing angel stood in the middle of the living room, hands in his pockets as he watched the phoenix from behind.

"I'd say the same for you, Melilah." replied the deep, husky voice of the angel, his tone indifferent, as usual. Melilah turned to face the handsome angel, her smirk having faded and her arms folding across her chest. "I know you're here to check on them, but as you can plainly see, they are safe and sound. You know I mean them no harm."

"I am only performing my duty as their guardian. Your song was quite soothing, I'll say." Replied the angel as he sat down gracefully on the couch, almost as comfortable enough in the phoenix's presence as the Winchesters were. Melilah smiled and joined him on the lounger adjacent to him. "Thanks. Sam asked if I'd sing them to sleep. I want to help these boys in any way I can. You know how miserable their lives are."

"Indeed I do. I wish only there wasn't this war to fight. Heaven has been ripping itself from the inside out, Hell too. They are all fighting against one another, and soon enough, the destruction will be enough to tear this world in half."

"Can we stop it?" asked Melilah coolly, resting her head on her hand that rested on the head of the lounger. Castiel shook his head twice. "It can be contained, but

There are several leaders who wish to see this civil war unleashed, and there is a prophecy that speaks of when and how this war may be let loose." Explained the angel, his voice as melancholy and serious as he ever was.

"How?"

"I don't know. The Big Man wasn't exactly specific on it. All he told me was that if the daughter of light and fire succumbed to the control of demons that the children of sky and damnation would collide, resulting in the destruction of all we know. I can only assume he meant you. You're highly favored, little Phoenix." Castiel said with a slight hint of a smile, almost teasingly.

Melilah shrugged triumphantly, chuckling. "Big Daddy thinks I'm the link of some prophecy? I should've figured I'd find my purpose sometime. What do I need to do?"

"Lucifer will try and break you. Make you bend to his will so this war sets him free once more. You can't let him do that, or we all die. Don't show any weakness, Melilah." Said Castiel, standing up and heading to look out towards the window, hands in his pockets once more. Melilah joined him there, looking up at the crescent moon with him, thoughtfully wondering what all this now meant.

"There's a storm coming, and we'll be smack in the eye of it. We must protect the brothers. They are our only hope."

"By my honor, Castiel, Angel of our God. I will sooner die than see them perish."

**Song: "Do You Want to Build A Snowman?" (based off of)**

**Movie: Frozen**

**Artist: Walt Disney Records**


	7. At The Beginning

The Winchesters awoke from the best sleep they've had in over a decade, a dreamless and restful slumber that brought them the much needed break they needed. They awoke to a lingering smell of eggs, bacon, waffles, and hash browns coming from the kitchen. They climbed out of bed and padded out into the kitchen, where Melilah had a breakfast buffet prepared for them. She was currently at the stove, frying the last of the bacon, she dressed in a loose black crop top and high waisted leggings that clung to her lower body gloriously. That didn't go unnoticed by Dean.

She heard them pad out into the kitchen and she turned, smiling. "Good morning sunshines. I've got breakfast prepared. Dig in," she offered, gesturing to the plates she had placed at the counter. Sam enthusiastically went for it, piling up his plate. Sam had the stomach of a horse, he could eat all day and could still be hungry. Dean watched the phoenix as she finished cooking and put away the dishes, her expression a little tense as she kept everything under control. He didn't question her for now, just politely taking the food she had so kindly cooked for them. His wandering eyes may or may not have been drifting down her back and towards her backside…

"Thank you, Melilah. You've been a very generous host." Said a very polite and grateful Sam, his mouth full of eggs. The phoenix just smiled and looked down shyly again. "Anything for you boys. Gives me an excuse to use the kitchen and cook something for once," she said with a shrug, taking a single grape from the little fruit basket and popping it into her mouth.

"You said you don't eat often. Is there a certain way you keep your powers high or certain substances you consume to keep your energies up?" asked Dean after swallowing a mouthful of fluffy waffles.

"Sunlight, mostly. When legends say Phoenixes are connected to the sun, they're right. Sun's basically a burning sphere of fire, yeah? Any kind of fire, light, or heat can energize me. I can enjoy human food once in a while," she said with a smirk towards Dean, having broken off a piece of his waffles and popping it into her mouth. He chuckled, and the three enjoyed their breakfast in comfortable silence, _Pretty Little Liars_ providing background noise in the living room.

After the boys were finished with breakfast, Melilah excused herself to the shower, letting the boys wash their own dishes, which they weren't exactly too excited to do but they figured it was the least they could do for their caretaker. After plates and bowls were washed and put away, Sam left to the bedroom to change into his normal clothes, leaving Dean out in the living room by himself. The flirtatious charmer was half tempted to see if he could catch the redhead crossing from her bathroom to her room, maybe catch her with a towel around her pleasingly curvaceous form…

But he figured if he wanted to keep his body intact wholly and not crumble to ashes he should leave well enough alone. But his willpower were rewarded when said redhead wandered into the kitchen, white towel draped across her body, extending just past her thighs. Her hair was long and wet down her back, combed through neatly and dangling in softly scrunched curls, as if she had run a towel through her hair. Dean took one look at the freshly showered, towel-bearing phoenix and he swore he had never been aroused so quickly thus far in his life. He stared at her blankly as she crossed into the kitchen, not paying him mind or pretending he wasn't there as she grabbed a cup of ice water.

Dean's mouth was gaped open and his throat went dry. He had no words. Normally in a situation like this, he'd make some smart ass comment and try to look cool, but this woman had rendered him completely speechless. He felt his erection pushing uncomfortably against his underwear and clothes, and he tried to cross his legs and hide it as she turned to face him. She smiled at him before taking a drink of the water, acting like nothing was going on. Dean was sure he was red in the cheeks, and if Melilah had noticed his current aroused state she was doing a great job at not acting like it.

"You normally… uh- walk around in a towel?" asked Dean, trying to keep his voice steady as he smiled and gestured to her current attire as she walked out from around the counter to stand next to him. She just shrugged.

"My house, my rules." She said with a playful stick out of her tongue. Dean chuckled, squirming a little in his seat. She gazed at him, knowing completely what was going on. She was smug about it. Bumping her hip into his side, she giggled. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"

"No, no! Hell, no- it's just… y'know- a pretty woman comes out with just a towel on, kinda excites any male creature able to see it- regardless of specie or orientation," Dean said with a nervous laugh. Melilah smiled, leaning down to press a quick but very warm kiss on Dean's cheek, starting to walk back towards her room. If Dean wasn't cherry red yet he definitely was now.

"I'll try and keep that in mind, hunter boy." She said, turning back to wink at Dean before disappearing into her room, the door closing behind her. Dean couldn't help but smile to himself. "Winchester, you've still got it."

"Come with us? You mean, leave Chicago?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I want to hunt with you."

"Have you ever been hunting before?"

Melilah couldn't help but give the boys a very very deeply disappointed gaze, like they had failed to answer a ridiculously different question.

"I've been hunting for two thousand years. I think you'll find having a Blessed phoenix on your team to be quite advantageous." She said, putting her hands victoriously on her hips. The brothers looked at each other briefly before turning back to the redhead.

"Blessed?" asked Sam.

"Yes. 'Blessed' is a term I use when certain creatures such as myself are created from Heaven's Light or have been touched by holy hands. All angels are 'Blessed', and then there's me, and a few others I know about. Makes us a little more powerful against evil."

"We're always on the move. Think you can handle that?" asked Dean, trying hard to hide the excitement in his voice.

"You bet. I've been at this a long time, boys. I can guarantee you my experience and my abilities, if you'll have me."

It didn't take long for Sam and Dean to glance at each other and come to a very quick consensus and agree to let her tag along. With Castiel increasingly absent more often, they could use the extra assistance. After seeing what she could do, there wasn't a lot of questioning on her experience in combat.

"Consider yourself part of the hellish life that is ours now, Miss Firesong." Dean said with a smile, offering his hand. Melilah smirked and took it firmly, shaking it as she looked into Dean's pretty green eyes.

"Wouldn't be anywhere else, pretty boy."

It didn't take long at all for Melilah to pack the provisions she needed. She was used to being on the run contantly. Her boss at _The President_ was also used to her disappearing for months at a time as well, so there was no issue there. Like most people Sam and Dean knew, including one another, Melilah had a set style of clothes she wore most days. She adored hoodies and leggings, occasionally jeans and sleeveless blouses in the heat of summer. She took up residency in the back of the Impala, which wasn't often used in the adventures of the Winchester boys. It wasn't anything new to her, concerning the journeying and adventuring. The only difference was the company, which she didn't mind in the slightest.

Having a woman onboard wasn't half-bad for the boys, either. She was relaxed and well-cultured, able to talk about several things with both men; music and movies with Dean, history and folklore with Sam. She was easy to get along with, unlike most women that had entered into the boy's lives. They had found a job in Southern Illinois, something concerning a spirit terrorizing female inmates at a Women's Penitentiary. Sam and Dean managed to find some officer's clothes and badges, as they were expert in doing, and Melilah was posed as the newest inmate, escorted by none other than the men she was working with.

They held either one of her arms as her hands were handcuffed together behind her back, walking down the hallway where she was to be kept. It was on the isolation floor, where said hauntings were taking place. As they walked along, the current inmates screaming very vulgar things to them, Dean whispered to her what they knew.

"Four women have died of severe cerebral beatings within the last two months, ever since they found the deceased remains of an inmate from 15 years ago in Siberian isolation in the basement, only for the worst prisoners. Said victims having bashed their own heads against the wall until their skulls split open. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were dealing with a very angry spirit. The trick is finding out why the spirit is fuming."

"Any things in common with the women who died?" asked Melilah quietly, keeping her gaze straight ahead as she played the part.

"All women had blonde hair and blue eyes, each one of them imprisoned for indecent behavior with young boys between the ages of fifteen and seventeen." Replied Sam as they neared Melilah's designated cell. The redhead nodded in agreement, her eyes having long since turned blue again since her "arrest". Sam and Dean uncuffed her and placed her into the cell, Melilah going willingly, walking towards the back of the room, her hair long and flowy down her back. Dean couldn't help but admire her form even in the prison clothes she wore. She turned and put her hands on her hips.

"Keep in contact with me. I'll stay down here and see what kind of spiritual signals I can get."

"We'll find out about this deceased inmate. Remember the code phrase if you need us?" asked Dean with a slight smirk, Melilah rolling her eyes. "Zeppelin is the greatest?"

"That's right. We'll be in touch, Mel. See you soon," Dean said with a wink, the redhead nodding to the boys as they closed the thick cement door and locked it, leaving her alone. Sliding her back against the wall, Melilah rested on the ground and immediately began to trace a summoning circle on the ground, marks and everything. Since the floor was stone, she had her finger heated to searing temperatures to engrave into it. If it was a spirit they were looking for, it was a spirit they'd get.

The Winchester boys found themselves scouring the records office and asking around about the recently discovered body. Not many of the current officers knew much about the history, but all they did know was that the DNA of the remains matched to a Tilda Operon. There weren't any records they were able to dig up easily.

"Think Mel will be alright down there?" Dean asked Sam softly as they scoured through folder after folder of records. Sam looked curiously at his brother, having been concerned with Dean's infatuation with the phoenix ever since they had set out to find her. "Dude, what's with you? You've been looking at her with puppy eyes ever since you've met and now you're worrying about her? Last time I checked, she was a very powerful phoenix that could kill a demon with a simple touch of her hand. A spirit won't be an issue for her."

"I know that! I just- we haven't seen her handle some maniac ghost yet and I don't want her to get hurt-"

"You like her."

"Do not."

"So do."

"Do not!"

Sam just looked at Dean with an annoyed expression of "really?" and pursed his taut lips, waiting for Dean to cave and admit he liked the redhead. Dean tried to stay strong, he really did. But it was too hard when the mere mention of the woman made his belly tingle, let alone admitting that he really did like her.

"She's hot, that's all,"

"And intelligent, and cultured, and powerful, and witty, and-"

"Alright, fine!" exclaimed Dean, his voice having raised a little as his little brother pestered him. The other officers in the office were giving them looks, and Dean gave an apologetic gaze, leaning in closer to Sam to whisper softly.

"I like her. I like her, I like her. Happy?" hissed Dean, red in the cheeks. Sam nodded contently, relaxing back in his chair as he continued to sift through files. Dean huffed, acting like he was doing the same, when all of his thoughts were really focused on a particularly beautiful redhead currently entrapped in an isolation cell attempting to summon the spirit.

"What made you decide that you liked her?" asked Sam, looking down from his reading over at Dean, who he knew perfectly well wasn't actually looking for anything.

"I don't know. I feel kind of… connected to her, y'know? She saved my butt from being dragged back to Hell again. It's kind of like being saved by Cas, only… in a different sense."

"Only in a "she's a total hot bad bitch and I'd like to fuck her" sense?" Sam smirked as he saw Dean flush red as a cherry. Dean shook his head so quickly Sam thought his brains would spill out of his ears.

"It' not even that, dude. Sure, she'd probably be the best sex partner in the history of ever but these feelings are …deeper, than that."

"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Sam teased, chuckling as Dean's lips broke into a smile. His gaze flickered up to his brother, and Sam couldn't help but smile at the almost childlike sparkle in his big brother's eyes. Dean smiled crookedly, genuinely. He'd never felt this way about anyone before. It was a good feeling, an exciting feeling. A feeling he had long since buried deep beneath his own bruised and broken heart to numb the pain of rejection. But merely thinking about the redhead made the feelings burst through the ashes of his own denial, and boy was it refreshing.

"Sammy, I think I'm falling in love."

"About fucking time, you jerk."

The brothers could only smile.


	8. If I Can't Love Him

**A/N Hello my preciouses! Quick little note for you to keep in mind while reading. I've updated all of my chapter titles, and I've renamed them after song titles. I've decided this will be sort of a musical story, since I'm weird like that lol! If there is a song I will reference in the chapter (most of which will have rewritten lyrics to better fit the story) I will have the song title, artist, and/or movie/musical it is from at the bottom of the chapter. Hope you guys like that addition ****J**** Enjoy! **

Silent chants came from the endmost cell in the long hallway of the isolation floor, soft rainbow lights shadowing from off the walls. Melilah casted her spells around the summoning circle she had drawn, making it so that once the spirit was summoned, it would be locked in it's visible form in the circle and would be unable to escape until the summoner allowed it. The phoenix had been summoning for a good ten minutes and nothing had come up. Her chanting grew increasingly louder and more frustrated as she kept going, the lights of her magic festering until one of the other cellmates exclaimed in fright.

"What the hell is that? You shooting off fireworks in there or something?!"

_Not exactly_, Melilah wanted to hiss at the other woman as she tried to concentrate and bring the spirit out. After her last aggressive string of chanting her Latin spell for what seemed like the ten thousandth time, there was finally some activity within the circle, and the spirit began to form before her. Standing straight and facing the forming figure in the heart of the circle, Melilah placed her hands on her hips and gazed angrily at what she saw.

It was, naturally, a female inmate, around mid thirties. Once upon a time, she would have been a pretty woman, but whatever happened to her scarred her and left behind a monster. Her black hair was long, ratted, and very unkempt. Her eyes were big and dark, raccoon eyes masking her pale face and long, bleeding scar that stretched around her entire head. She had been severely beat before her death, and it was a gruesome sight to see. She was scrawny and thin, malnourished. She wore the prison clothes she died in, all bloodied and ripped. The spirit growled at the phoenix, huddling as far away from the redhead as the sealing circle would allow, like an animal backed against a wall.

"Why you bring me here?" it hissed, her voice sounding more like a snake trying to speak English rather than a grown adult woman.

"You know perfectly well why I'm here, Ms. Operon. Care to evaluate why you're killing these other inmates? Did someone beat you? Kill you? Are you seeking vengeance on how wronged you were?" Melilah questioned her softly, her voice low and gentle. None of the other isolation women needed to hear what was going on. The spirit huffed angrily, baring rotted teeth and huddling its arms around it's lithe form. Melilah didn't change her expression.

"Woman have affair with guard… blonde hair… blue eyes… caught for raping a young man… I see her kissing guard… she kills me when I find out… Beat my head against wall…" growled the spirit, reminiscing her death. Melilah nodded only once, understanding the spirit's motives. But that didn't mean she could continue her murders.

"Do you want to rest, Tilda? Do you want to be free of your anger?" asked the phoenix softly. The spirit shook her head almost violently, growling again, her eyes glowing a sickly red. But before she could expect it, Melilah had entered the circle and wrapped her fingers around the spirit's throat, the deceased avenger writhing in the grasp of the half angel.

"Have it your way."

With that, the phoenix gripped the spirit's tangible neck tight, the spirit screeching as it bursted into flames and fell in invisible ashes around the summoning circle Melilah had created. Once it was complete, the redhead extended her hand towards the ground, walking around the circle as she erased it from existence. No traces, if possible. Not long after, she heard the door to her cell open, the brothers there in wide-eyed shock.

"You okay, Mel? A few of the other inmates down here were screaming and we'd thought something went wrong." Sam said, walking into the cell, looking around. Melilah shook her head. "I managed to summon the spirit. Tilda Operon was her name. She was too tainted with revenge to ultimately be put to rest, so I burned her. I can burn spirits if they stand within my magic." Dean looked at her a little hesitantly at the word 'magic'. His first thought was black witch magic, but Melilah was definitely no witch. "We would have needed to salt and burn the body, how did you destroy the spirit?"

"Phoenix, remember?" sassed Mel, gesturing to herself. "I possess both angelic and demonic abilities. Angelic more so. Those are the more practiced powers. And before you ask, no, I was never a witch. Phoenix magic and black magic are two very different things. Phoenix magic isn't satanical, it's used to banish anything satanical. For example, Ms. Angry spirit here." Mel explained, the boys listening.

Sam nodded in agreement, Dean still looking at Melilah with a very confused expression, like he still didn't understand exactly what happened, and then it clicked. _Right, blessed by the celestials. I should've known. _He should be used to this. He's seen Cas do much much worse to much much more powerful monsters. Maybe it was just strange to see something- or someone- that could match his power.

They were out of the prison as quickly as they were in, already having a reasoning why the redhead was innocent, the guards releasing her without much question. It may or may not have had something to do with how Melilah bat her pretty eyes at the warden and maybe put him under a spell. Regardless, they got out, and it was on the road again. They searched for a new job, driving across the Plains towards the West, where the boys hadn't visited for a while. Most of their jobs and places ended up in the East. They would occasionally stop somewhere for the night to rest, the boys taking a room while Melilah stood watch over them, sleep not on her list of priorities.

It was a warm August night in Nebraska, and the boys were snoozing in the motel, the woman perched on the roof of the Impala, gazing up at the full moon high above in the sky. Her knees were huddled to her chest, dressed in her favorite black Adidas hoodie, regardless of the night's warmth. The phoenix felt… colder than she'd felt in a while. She wasn't sure what it was, but it outright confused her. Much like demons and angels, phoenixes didn't _feel_ often. At least, feel things like love, affection, friendship and such. Anger and wrath were easier to feel than anything concerning love. While normal humans felt all warm and fuzzy inside, Melilah felt cool, like a drink of ice water on a scorching summer afternoon. It was a strange, refreshing feeling. Melilah felt too warm a lot. While some angry, depressed humans felt cold and empty, she felt too hot and dry inside. Being cooled down was something she hadn't experienced often, and ever since Dean came around, she'd been feeling it a lot more often.

Melilah was worried that now she was feeling the very emotion she once swore she'd never feel. She was falling in love with Dean Winchester. The feelings were like kindling ready to be set afire and burn out quickly. But wood was only added to the burning flames, and now it was out of control. She couldn't allow this to happen, she just _couldn't_…

"Hey, Mel?" came a gruff, sexy voice from behind her. Turning to see Dean in a nightshirt and thin sweatpants, Melilah felt her heart race a little, the object of her frustrations behind her. Dean rubbed at one sleepy eye, smiling as he watched the phoenix look down at him from on top of Baby. He had to admit, it was downright one of the sexiest things he'd ever seen. His attraction for the woman was only growing, but he still had no clue what she felt towards him. There was shameless flirting, but it was hard to see beyond the walls Melilah was capable of putting up.

"Hey, Dean. Can't sleep?"

"I was concerned about you. You've been quiet since the prison. Everything alright?" asked the concerned Winchester as he came to the side of the car, resting his arms on the roof, looking up at her. She still refused to look at him, for fear that the family of bees that had moved into her belly would only start festering again. Dean couldn't help but be a little put off, thinking the redhead was angry with him or something.

"I'm fine, Dean. Really." Was her soft response, her eyes still glued to the moon high above. Dean nodded, not moving from his spot as he waited for her to say something else. She didn't for several moments, so he had to break the ice.

"Can I talk to you about something?" asked the curious Winchester, resting his head on his arms. The phoenix finally relented, turning her head ever so slightly to look at him. Her face was still partially hidden by her arm, she trying to keep a reasonable expression rather than smiling like an idiot.

"What's there to talk about?"

"I know this is way too early to say, and I honestly don't even know what I've been feeling these past few weeks, but I think you have a right to know that I've very very very attracted to you. Like, a lot. Like, 'I want to be with you all the time' attracted to you…" stammered the nervous man as all of his buried emotions bursted forth like water from a leaking dam. Melilah listened to him with wide eyes, taking in all the details as Dean poured out what seemed like restrained emotions towards her. When he finished, she was at a loss for words. She didn't know that Dean had felt so strongly, and she didn't know exactly how she felt about all of it.

"So… say something!" said Dean, a little worriedly as he watched the Phoenix's shocked expression. He had been under the impression nothing ever surprised her. But apparently this did. After a few more agonizing moments, Melilah just turned away, trying to get ahold of everything stirring in her. It was hard to think when she was looking at Dean, and right now she had to think.

"There's nothing to be said."

"So… I just poured out what's left of my broken soul and you've got nothing to say?" asked Dean, his voice growing increasingly frustrated. Mel just shook her head yes from where it was buried in her knees, her arms still wrapped around tightly. "I'm just as confused as you are, Dean."

"You're confused that I like you?"

"No, I'm confused that maybe I _love_ you?"

Now it was Dean's turn to be rendered speechless. Raising his brow, he tried to make sense of what she was saying. She was _confused_ that she felt the same way? That maybe she could experience emotions too? It was frustrating. He scoffed.

"So, you don't like that you feel the same?"

"No, I didn't say that-"

"Then what is it?"

"I… I don't know." Was her only response as she looked back up towards him, her face a twisted mix of confused, scared, and even a little angry. He removed his arms from the roof of the car and began to walk back towards the hotel. He could feel the anger rising in him and he didn't want to continue their game of sentiments anymore. Obviously she wasn't familiar with such things. Why should he bother and be rejected once more?

"Angels, demons, _you_… you're all the same. Screwing with our delicate natures until you've rendered us completely useless. I don't want no part of it." Was all Dean said as he headed back to the motel room, the door closing just as Melilah called out to him.

"Dean, wait!"

Nothing. He didn't turn back. She had upset him when she hadn't had the intention to do so. Sighing sadly, she slid down from the roof of the car and put her hands in her pockets, walking off into the night, a small woodsy area surrounding their current residency. The night was dark and lonesome, quiet minus the crickets chirping and the occasional scuffle of an animal scurrying through the trees. After finding a little grove, where the moonlight shone in like a spotlight, Mel took a sigh and leant up against a tree, folding her arms.

What the _hell_ was going on? She didn't understand the whirlwind of emotions going on inside her. She pressed her fingers to either sides of her head and tried to breathe, reasoning why she was so confused and why Dean was so upset. Her only logical explanation was that she was a phoenix, made of raw light and fire, not exactly human and not made to experience human emotions. Her emotional explanation was a different story. She couldn't understand exactly how Dean felt, or even how _she_ was feeling. Did she love Dean? Was that the unfamiliar sentiment she was undergoing? What _was_ love? _Could_ she even love Dean?

So many questions, and no answers to any of them. If she couldn't love Dean, the only man she had ever met able to cause such thoughts inside her, then _who_? If not now, then when? _How? _The only way she knew how. Song. Pushing back against the tree to move herself forward, she walked into the center of the glen, looking up at the moonlight. She could feel a slow rise of power in her as she absorbed the moon's rays. They were not nearly as powerful as sunbeams, but it was something. Day and night are two halves of the same coin. One could not exist without the other. Sometimes Melilah wondered if that was the case with herself. Was there another half for her out there somewhere? She didn't know. The night softly began to croon the music she needed to project her voice into the empty void surrounding her as she tried to make sense of everything she was feeling.

_In my twisted state_

_There's never the slightest trace_

_Of anything that even hints… at loving. _

_And from my tortured shape_

_No comfort, no escape _

_I see… but deep within is utter blindness_

_Hopeless… as my dream dies…_

_As the time flies_

_Love, a lost illusion…_

_Helpless… unforgiven… Cold and driven_

_To this sad conclusion…_

Dean… beautiful, powerful Dean… human, but destined for so much more. It was never anything she had expected to come into her life, or even change her life for that matter. It humbled the phoenix as she realized how defenseless against the world she truly was. Demons and vampires and angels she could handle, but she couldn't comprehend weakening enough to open herself to a man her inner human so desperately wished to know. It scared Melilah… to death.

_No beauty could move me…_

_No goodness improve me…_

_No power on Earth…_

_…if I can't love him._

_No passion could reach me,_

_No lesson could teach me…_

_How I could maybe love him..._

_…and maybe he'd love me too._

_If I can't love him, then who?_

Love wasn't anything she had experienced before, not in her near five millennia of existence. Sure, she knew of her Father's love and care for her, and she loved him the same way but this was a different kind of love. A love that two strangers could experience together and live through together, a love so powerful it could move worlds. It was still hard for Melilah to wrap her head around, but as she thought more, her voice grew louder, the moonrays beginning to dance around her.

_Long ago I should have seen…_

_All the things I could have been…_

_Careless, and unthinking… I'll move onward!_

A light bursted forth from her chest as she decided, catching her off guard as she stumbled back a step or two. The rays of moonlight shone brighter and brighter, circling around the phoenix as she closed her eyes and at last let the emotions take her, letting go of her restraints. She'd give love a try. She'd protect Dean and Sam, shield them with the love of a phoenix. No demon or angel would ever break that. Not ever again. Her voice sang out into the night, her bosom glowing bright.

_No pain could be deeper,_

_No life could be cheaper! _

_No point anymore, if I can't love him! _

_No spirit could win me!_

_No doubt left within me!_

_How I try to love him, and maybe he'll set me free…_

_But if it's not to be…_

If she couldn't love Dean with all she had, give her all to protect him from the evils that sought to destroy him…

_If I can't love him…_

It was now or never. She couldn't keep up the walls she had spent thousands of years building. They crumbled like an earthquake inside her body, as the phoenix tossed her head to the sky, light bursting forth from her eyes, her heart, and her voice as she sang her praise to God, her prayer of dedication. Love them, or all is lost.

_Let the world be done… with me! _

**Song: "If I Can't Love Her" (based off of)**

**Musical: Beauty and the Beast**

**Artist: Terrence Mann**


	9. Roleplay Offer! Help inspire the story!

Just a quick little offer out there to all my readers who'd be willing to help me inspire some future scenes with Dean/Mel:

I know myself well enough to know when I lose interest in writing a fanfiction for lack of inspiration, and i DON'T want this to happen with this story. It's too damn good. Heh... Anyway, I am extending out an offer to any interested readers that would be willing to roleplay with me as characters from the story. (I.E Dean, Cas, and Sam). Roleplaying really helps fuel my thoughts and ideas concerning fics, and it would help me tremendously!

Whether you want to roleplay with me to help or even just for fun, feel free to send me a message and we can work something out :) I'll tell you straight up, it's the smutty parts i'm going to need help writing, so unless you are interested in some sex scenes, this probably isn't for you. Thanks my lovelies! Feel free to message me if you want some credit in the story or would be willing to play a canon character for Mel :)


	10. That's How You Know

The sun rose with the dying echoes of Melilah's song, and with it, came two very groggy and tired brothers. Dean, as usual, was the first to rise. He grudgingly showered and packed up his things, Sam still snoozing contentedly in his bed, limbs thrown across the bed in a very humorous manner. Dean was tying his boots when the youngest Winchester woke up, yawning and stretching. Dean usually would have cracked a "rise and shine sleeping beauty', but he didn't feel like talking much this morning, and even in the haze of waking up, it didn't go unnoticed by Sam.

"No degrading remarks? Seriously, dude. Something's wrong with you."

"No, there isn't." was all that Dean growled back. Normally Sam would have given him the infamous bitchface, but there was something in Dean's voice that made him almost retreat back into the sheets for protection. Dean finished tying his boots and stood up, downing the last of the whiskey he had started to chug last night after…

Right. Her. After Dean and Melilah had their confrontational, the hunter had dashed straight into the room, slamming the door closed and drinking in a manner that should have killed him. Naturally, Winchesters don't go down that easily. He had felt a rejecting pain he hadn't felt in a very long while, and it hurt- badly. The aches of that pain still lingered in his chest. He had so wished she felt the same- but his desires had been in vain. She wasn't any different from angels or demons or anyone. He had thought she was more human in heart than in power. He was wrong. The hangover effects were throbbing in his head, and he actually struggled keeping his eyes open, everything fuzzy and red flashing around his vision. He groaned when Sam opened the window to shed in some light, covering his face with his arm as he dropped down on his unmade bed.

"Sam, shut those blinds," he griped, curling into a ball. Sam couldn't help but snicker at Dean's miserable state, but had to wonder why. Ever since Mel had joined Team Free Will, Dean hadn't drunk a single ounce of alcohol. He hadn't either, now that he thought about it. Why was Dean so hungover?

"Light's good for you, Dean."

"No. It fucking sucks," snapped the older Winchester as he threw the pillow over his head, trying to cease the relentless throbbing of his head. Raising his eyebrow, Sam walked to the edge of Dean's bed, sitting down on it as he watched his older brother writhe around in the aches of his hangover. Patting Dean encouragingly on his calf, Sam sighed.

"What's wrong, dude? What happened last night?"

"She turned me down, Sammy."

"She turned you- what?" asked a puzzled Sam as he took in Dean's sudden willingness to open up. Dean moved his head out from under the pillow and looked at his little brother, eyes puffy with the remnants of last night's tears and this morning's overshadow. Sam went wide eyed as he really looked at how much of a wreck Dean was. He looked physically ill, all from feeling rejected.

"Do we need to summon Cas?" asked Sam softly, looking at Dean with a very apologetic gaze, feeling very sorry for him. Normally Dean got any woman he wanted, without a lot of effort either. Maybe Melilah being a phoenix was unable to experience deeper feelings other than shameless flirting she and Dean often exchanged. Sam knew such was the case with angels, demons and such. Being with Ruby had proven that true. He grimaced a little at the memories.

Dean shook his head 'n'o very slowly, sniffling. "He doesn't need to see me like this, moping over a wom- a monster I thought I felt things for. I'm a fool, Sam. I let my guard down and it only got me hurt again." Moped the oldest Winchester as a few tears slipped from the corners of his eyes, from both the throbbing and the hurt in his heart. Sam didn't have any words to say. He liked Melilah, admired her greatly. Her being around had filled a little gap in his own heart that had been missing his entire life, never having the knowledge or care of a mother, just a hardass father with a protective older brother. Shortly after her joining them, Sam had been in the motel room with her, both of them reading from a Latin book as she taught him different inflections to make spells even more effective.

It was like he was a little boy again, a mother that he never had teaching him how to read, just in a different perspective now that he was a grown man. He and the redhead had bonded very quickly. Not that he would mention this to anyone, but he had imagined this new motherly figure stepping into his life marrying his older brother, who had been the father figure for the majority of it. Seems all those happy thoughts were tossed into the garbage now.

"Where did she go?" asked Sam softly. "Don't know, and I don't want to care. She probably left to go join Lucifer for all we know." Was Dean's only response.

"That's uncalled for, Dean. She wouldn't do that."

"I didn't think she'd turn me down either, Sammy. Looks like we're both going to be disappointed."

Huffing and rolling his eyes, Sam stood from the bed and packed his own things, letting Dean nurse his drunken aftereffects. He glanced out the window to the Impala, where Melilah usually waited for them in the mornings. Normally she'd be leaning up against the side of the car, hands in her pockets as she'd be deep in thought, or maybe sitting on the roof singing to herself, maybe even sitting on the trunk with her legs crossed as she'd flicker some magic around on her fingers. But she wasn't there, and it was strange to see her not there. Grabbing his things, Sam hauled his duffel out to the car where he tossed it into the trunk, above where they stored all their weapons. He glanced around some more, hoping he'd see her coming around from the forestry around them or she'd appear out of nowhere like other monsters usually did.

But it was silent, not even a presence nearby. Sighing, he closed the trunk and nearly jumped in surprise when the lid fell to reveal a very awaited phoenix on the roof of the car.

"Mel! Thank God, there you are!" exclaimed the tall moose-like boy as he sighed out relief, putting both his hands out on the trunk. He finally looked up to see Mel with a saddened expression on her face as her knees curled to her chest, her red hair a little frizzier than he was used to seeing, dark bags under her eyes from what seemed like lack of energy.

"Hey, Simba." Was her soft reply as she kept her gaze soft and almost expressionless. Simba was Mel's approved nickname for Sam, due to the young man's glorious mane of soft brown hair. Sam often exhibited mannerisms of a lion, so she only thought it was appropriate. Sam actually liked the endearing name, and it was comforting to hear it at the current moment.

"Are you alright?"

"Not really."

"What happened?"

"I think you know."

Sam couldn't press her any further, not with the way she was looking at him, sad and torn on the inside. It would have seemed that Dean wasn't joking about the conversation he had had with Melilah last night. But it seemed it wasn't as one sided as Dean had thought. Mel seemed just as conflicted too. "He thinks you turned him down. He was drinking all night."

"I didn't mean to hurt him-"

"You shouldn't have anything to apologize for, Mel. It's just his way of dealing with hard things. Dean's always been a drinker-"

"No, Sam. It's deeper than that. I honestly didn't know _what_ I've been feeling towards him, and I was too confused to iterate how much I really do love him."

"He never wanted to- wait, what?!"

"You heard." Mel said bluntly, folding her arms under her generous bust. Sam stared at her wide-eyed, trying to process what she had just said. She… _loved_ Dean? That escalated quickly. It seemed his assumption about phoenixes not being able to love back were wrong. But… how could he be sure she knew what love even was?

"Love?"

"My stomach always flutters when he's around, I always want to be beside him and I want to kiss him all the time and tell the entire world that I'm in his company. He makes me feel… _human_, Sam. Something I've never gotten to feel. It's unfamiliar, but I love it. I think we share a special bond, and I want to make him happy. Isn't that love?" she asked softly, her eyes wide and curious as Sam smiled gently, coming forward to embrace Melilah firmly. If that wasn't love, he didn't know what was.

"You should tell him."

"I can't. He hates me."

"He does not."

Mel looked up the tall boy into his eyes, worry etched across her features. "He needs space from me. I'll be in touch. You know how to call me if you need me, Simba."

"Where are you going?" asked Sam as Mel stepped backwards and towards the forest again.

"There's activity at the Devil's Gate. Castiel wants me to join him in checking it out. Get to that job in Idaho, I'll meet you there."

And with that, she disappeared. Like angels and demons, into thin air. Sam should have expected that.


	11. I Will Be Right Here Waiting For You

In the dead of the night, lights festered from within the Gates of Hell, where a conflicted Castiel gazed down the rebelling demons threatening to break out. The door of course was sealed tight, but that didn't stop the devils from making it shake from the amount of souls currently being restricted in Hell. Not long after the angel had arrived, the phoenix followed suit, appearing a distance behind the angel as she walked towards him, her hips swaying as her red ombred with blonde tip curls bounced down her back. It's only been the past couple of days that the tips had started to lighten, for reasons not even Melilah knew.

"Its getting worse, Melilah."

"You think this has something to do with me?" asked the redhead softly, coming to stand by the angel to stare at the damned Gate. The festering calmed significantly in the phoenix's presence, and Mel didn't hold back a powerful kick of the door, sending the demons waiting behind it further into the depths, screeching. "That ought to shut them up for a while."

Castiel looked at her with a serious expression, as he usually did. "They fear you. They know you can defeat them. Why don't you accept our offer?"

"Because it's not my battle to fight in," was her response, her gaze not breaking from the intricate designs on the gate as Castiel kept his gaze glued on her.

"It's always been your battle, Melilah. You're the chariot of fire prophesized in the last of the days when Lucifer and his spawn attempt to seize control. This is one war that won't be won without you. Both offending sides need you, and will do absolutely anything to get you on their side. Father had this planned for you all along. Haven't you wanted to know your purpose?"

Melilah remained silent, nodding in response to the angel's question. He had a point. If she had known all of this centuries ago, she wouldn't have hesitated to fulfill this mission. But then she met two very special human men. And everything changed. But Melilah knew she had to understand that she held a responsibility to her God, and that through serving His purpose, she could keep her loved ones safe, including her angel half-siblings and her two human friends.

"What would He ask of me?" asked the redhead softly. Castiel kept his gaze lowered at the slightly shorter woman, hands in his trenchcoat pockets. His bright blue eyes gazed into the endless cosmos of her bright lavender hues, fixated on trying to read her out, why she was so hesitant to fight in the first place. He had always known his sister to be full of life and fight against darkness, but why was she holding back?

"This is about Dean and Sam, isn't it?"

"You said so yourself, we have to protect them."

"Yes, and by serving our Father, you're doing just that."

"But there are still monsters and demons out to kill them, Cas. They need someone by their side at all times. You certainly haven't been filling in that role." Replied Mel with a suspicious raise of her brow, while Castiel looked away a little guiltily.

"I've been doing my part preparing for this war, like you should be doing. I'll go back to them, Melilah. Go where Father needs you to go."

"I promised Sam I'd meet them-"

"Then I will relay the message that you are currently engaged in a worthy cause and that they are protected."

"Cas…"

"Melilah, please. Put your feelings aside and go about the work. You'll see them again, I promise you that."

The phoenix looked sadly at the angel, very much desiring to return to Dean and Sam. But she and Castiel both knew she could not. She had obligations elsewhere, fighting and preparing for the war that threatened to split the earth. She was to travel the globe, purging as many demons, monsters, and corrupted angels as possible in the name of her Heavenly Father, in spite of her hell father.

"Keep them safe, Cas…"

"You have my word, Melilah."

It took Sam hours to argue with Dean to take the hunt of werewolves in the vast mountains of the Rockies, but the older, depressed Winchester eventually agreed. They drove and drove, Sam trying to cheer Dean up with whatever he could to get that stupid frown off of his face. If anything, a fresh cherry pie managed to ease the pain, and Dean appreciated it. Whenever Sam would try to bring up Melilah, Dean would shrug it off, doing his best to just forget it. But both of them knew it was impossible.

In all reality, Dean was a wreck. He missed the phoenix like crazy but that was the last thing he wanted to admit to himself. He felt bad that he had shoved her away and didn't give her time to explain herself before she had left. He assumed it was his fault and he would have liked nothing more than to have her back in the car with them, that angelic voice belting along to Joan Jett or Pat Benatar. But no, here he was, nursing his powerful hangover while Sam drove them across the empty roads. Dean managed to sleep off most of the headache, but the chest pain lingered.

Hours turned into days, and they finally drove past the Idaho border from Wyoming. The beautiful mountain range stretched endlessly along the plains they passed. Dean almost lost himself in the scenery. Why they didn't drive more out west was beyond him. It was stunning. But they came upon the little town of Arimo and soon, a hunt was upon them. There had been unnaturally large wolves prowling around the area, and the brothers could only assume it was a pack of lycans looking for a territory to establish. Upon driving into the town, they immediately began investigating. Arimo was very small and very out in the middle of nowhere. It made sense for lycans-who were both human and wolf- would want to settle in a place like this. But there had been a few murders recently, and it was high time the dogs were booted out.

They found out that a gang of seemingly homeless men and women came into town around two weeks prior, around the time the wolves were being spotted. They caused trouble all over town but escaped before police officers could catch them in any sort of act. But as they got to work, Melilah became a small lingering memory for the time being. It was back to the way things used to be, just the boys, on their own. Sam had been quieter than usual, looking around consistently as he waited for the phoenix to make her appearance, but she never did. Then again, she had this knack of appearing at the opportune moment, just when they needed her the most. His patience was running thin. He needed to see Dean happy again. So much sadness had been injected into their lives, and it was high time something good came out of all this. That good thing could be Melilah.

"Dude, what are you looking for?" Dean asked, looking up from the book he was currently reading on lycanthropy. Sam shook his head, realizing his back had been turned towards the door for a while. Sam shrugged it off, trying to make things as believable as possible.

"Nothing. Never know when that pack could show up, y'know?"

"Right…"

A few hours passed and nighttime shadowed the little Idaho town. And with the moonshine, so rose the Winchesters. Gearing up with the weapons in the Impala, they set out for the wolves with their guns loaded and their eyes sharp. The thrill of the hunt cascaded over them as they ventured further into the woods, where howling could be heard from a distance. Stepping softly on the dry dirt, Sam and Dean kept their eyes peeled and their feet moving. At every rustle in the trees, they'd aim their weapons, but it would always be the wind or another smaller animal scurrying home for the night. Dean kept hoping it would be one of the wolves. Sam hoped it was a particularly beautiful redhead. But both were going to be disappointed for about ten searching minutes.

They tracked the wolf tracks and evidence to their den, a good two miles outside of the town. It was empty. There wasn't much inside of it other than a dying firepit surrounded by worn sleeping bags and gnawed bones from various forest animals, and even some humans. The den hadn't been visited in a while, from the lack of wolf smell and the dead fire. As Dean scavenged around for whatever evidence he could find, Sam stood out watch, keeping his eyes peeled in the darkness, his flashlight shining back and forth into the forest. Whilst he was shining his light, he thought he caught a pair of big yellow eyes staring at him in the bushes. But as he passed the eyes, he quickly shone back to where he saw them, but there were no eyes to be seen.

"Dean…" Sam hushed, not taking his eyes off of the darkness, slowly backing up towards his brother. Immediately, Dean aimed his gun to wherever Sam was shining the light, knowing the tone in Sam's voice meant he saw something. Then, softly at first, they heard growling coming from one direction, and so they looked. Nothing. Then they heard it again, louder this time. They didn't see anything. Panicking a little, the boys pressed their backs to each other and looked around, turning as multiple growls began to draw closer and the bushes began to rustle. Dean was about to shoot his gun at one of the rustling bushes, when the growling ceased and a young woman in her early twenties stepped from the bushes. Dean froze as he took in her condition. She wasn't bad-looking, just a little roughed up. Her hair was long and black, ratted and tangled. Her clothes were worn and there were several patches of skin showing across her attire. Her eyes were dark brown, rimmed with a traditional werewolf golden rim. She looked subtly pissed off, her pale lips a tight line and her body stiff.

Others soon joined her, the brothers surrounded by lycan shifters, all dressed and in similar conditions as the first girl. They all seemed to be in between ages of twenty one and thirty five. The oldest was a male, a tall, broad man with long chocolate locks tied back into a ratted ponytail. One could only assume this was the Alpha of the pack. The lycans drew in closer, all wearing annoyed expressions mixed with murderous malice.

"It was unwise to step onto another's territory, boys." Growled the Alpha as they drew in closer, not very phased by the guns the Winchesters were currently pointing at them. "But we're lucky you stopped by. Saves us hunting for food tonight."

One of the other men, a younger blonde one, shifted into his wolf form and leapt for Sam. Dean aimed a perfect shot right square in the blonde wolf's head. It fell to the ground with a whine. The raven-haired girl they had seen first growled and shifted, running towards Dean with her jaws wide open. The blonde must've been her mate. Sam intervened with a silver knife in her chest. The fight pressed on, the brothers stabbing, shooting, and wrestling the pack of wolves off of them. By the time only the Alpha remained, Sam was sporting a broken rib and a slashed cheek; with Dean curling a dislocated elbow into his stomach and nursing a bleeding ear with his good hand. They were both on the ground, surrounded by the bodies of the dead lycan pack. The Alpha stalked towards them with his teeth bared and his eyes glowing a sickly, terrifying yellow. Blood dripped from his jowls and his paws were matted with dirt and the remains of his pack.

Coughing up a little blood from his mouth, Dean tried not to fall unconscious as he held onto life. Only now, on the brink of death does he finally let go of his pride and whisper a long-awaited word.

"Melilah…"

A flash of red and gold cut through the air between the giant wolf and Dean. The wolf reared back and exclaimed in pain as his fur caught flames and a large, beautiful firebird latched itself onto it's head and pecked his eyes out, it's talons digging into the skin. With a final howl, the wolf fell to it's demise and the red eagle cawed out musically, soaring over it's kill victoriously. Landing on the ground near Dean, the bird leaned it's great head over his own head… and began to weep. Her tears dribbled from her large purple eyes and into his mouth. All the pain that seemed to be consuming him disappeared, and his vision cleared and he was healed again. He managed to sit up and investigate his repaired elbow before turning to see the phoenix do the same to Sam, the younger brother unconscious but breathing. His wounds closed and he looked at peace.

The bird turned towards Dean, looked at him with a sad gleam in her eyes… and took flight. Before Dean could call out her name, he was grabbed on the shoulder and pulled through time and space back to the motel room he and Sam were currently staying in. He was sitting on his bed, Sam curled in the covers, snoozing away contentedly. Looking around hurriedly, his eyes finally landed on a very familiar, dark-haired, blue eyed angel.

"Cas! Where the hell did-"

"She left, Dean. She isn't ready to return yet."

Dean stared at Castiel with a very confused, angry expression. Melilah had obviously saved their asses- again. But once more, she had departed once the deed was complete. "What do you mean she can't return?"

"Melilah has a very important task at hand and it requires her full attention. I insisted she not come to you and that I take her place but she didn't listen. She managed to find a moment to save you, so I'd suggest you be grateful." Castiel almost growled back, his serious gaze lowering at Dean as he defended Melilah. Dean huffed but nonetheless looked away, putting his head in his hands. He wanted to know why she wasn't there and what it was she was doing but something told him that asking such questions would only result in even more shrouded mystery. So he stayed silent.

"She will come back, Dean."

"Gee, what makes you think that? Apparantly she's so busy trying to do your bidding that she can't even stop by to explain things once in a while?" Dean replied bitterly, walking to the bathroom to wash some cold water over his face. Castiel remained where he was, serious as ever.

"It's not my bidding she is doing. It's God's. From the moment she was born she was to fill a special task when it came time. This is that time, Dean."

"Do I not get to know what's going on? Seems to involve me and my brother quite a lot."

"No."

Dean scoffed and walked away, towards the door to get outside for some fresh air. He needed to get out and think for a while. He needed to be alone with his tortured self. When Cas was about to follow him, Dean bid him not and requested that the angel remain with Sam. Castiel was hesitant but he knew Dean needed the space to think, so he consented.

Dean walked down the quiet blocks of the little city, the night quiet and free of disturbances. With the wolves gone, they weren't likely to be an issue anymore. As Dean walked, he placed his hands in his coat pockets and walked along, grateful for the silent solitude. But as he came towards the end of town, into the more rolling hills areas, he kept walking. Once he felt that he was far away enough, he looked up to the stars and the moon. They were glittering a little brighter than usual tonight. It was a pretty sight. As Dean glanced back to the ground, he felt a welling in his chest that carried through his vocal chords and through his lips. He couldn't really hold it back anymore. He's wanted to do this since the moment he had shut that door on Melilah all that time ago.

_"Oceans apart day after day_

_And I slowly go insane_

_I hear your voice on the line_

_But it doesn't stop the pain…"_

Dean's voice is rough and gravelly, but nonetheless pleasant as he softly harmonizes the Richard Marx classic. He thinks of Melilah, letting his thoughts flow instead of trying to compress them somewhere in the more forbidden part of his brain. It felt good, knowing that at least she still cared about them enough to save their arses once more. Her tears had healed him and his brother and she hadn't abandoned them like he initially thought she had. Still, the pain of not having her around still lingered and it was clenching his heart a little tighter. But the singing was helping.

_"If see you next to never_

_How can we say forever_

_Wherever you go, whatever you do…_

_I will be right here waiting for you_

_Whatever it takes_

_Or how my heart breaks_

_I will be right here waiting for you."_

It was a testament as he continued to sing, his rooted feelings for the Phoenix still powerful and faithful. Regardless of how she felt, she still had some sense of protection over them, and it was enough for him.

_"I wonder how we can survive this romance_

_But in the end if I'm with you I'll take the chance_

_Oh can't you see it baby,_

_You've got me goin' crazy_

_Wherever you go, whatever you do_

_I will be right here waiting for you_

_No matter what it takes,_

_Or how my heart breaks,_

_I will be right here waiting for you…" _

His arms spread out and he threw his head to the sky, a cool breeze blowing open his jacket as a smile crossed his face and he surrendered to the human emotions he had denied himself for so long. Was love so bad? Not if he could help it. The music soared through the air, and he very faintly noticed as he sung the last measure of notes that a very familiar, angelic voice joined in with him.

_"I will be waiting…"_

_"…for you."_

Slowly, he turned, and she was there.

**Song: I Will Be Right Here Waiting For You**

**Artist: Richard Marx**


	12. Just Give Me A Reason

**A/N You may as well just rename this story Supernatural: The Musical. Not that i'm complaining or anything, but y'know... Hell, who am I kidding? I fucking love it. ^^**

(Mel) _"Right from the start_

_You were a thief_

_You stole my heart_

_And I, your willing victim_

_I've let you see the parts of me_

_That weren't all that pretty_

_And with every touch_

_You've fixed them…" _

Melilah's voice is subtle but lovely as she slowly began to close the distance between herself and Dean, the other man frozen in what seemed to be a frustrating mixture of shock and relief. Shock, because she was here. Singing. Relief, because she was here. Singing. His lips hung open in surprise and his palms began to sweat while his heart pounded like a drum. He can't speak, his voice caught in a figurative net deep in his chest. He doesn't move as she draws closer. He refuses to push her away again. She continues, and all he can do is remain still and let his ears take in what they can.

(Mel) _"Now you've been talkin' in your sleep_

_Oh oh, things you'd never say to me_

_Oh oh, tell me that you've had enough_

_Of our love, our love…_

_Just give me a reason_

_Just a little bit's enough_

_Just a second, we're not broken just bent_

_And we can learn to love again_

_It's in the stars_

_It's been written of the scars _

_Of our hearts_

_We're not broken, just bent_

_And we can learn to love again."_

By this point, she's only an arm's reach away, but she keeps her cautious distance. Melilah, for once in her entire existence, was scared. She was scared to open her heart to a man she really didn't know and be rejected as she had once rejected him. But in case Dean still felt the same, the only way to prove her sincerity was to let down her defenses and be vulnerable. As much as she hated to be in such a place, Dean was worth all that. Dean had managed to find some strength deep within himself and respond to her in the way she needed to hear, continuing the song with her as they moved onwards from the barricade that once separated them.

(Dean) _"I'm sorry I don't understand_

_Where all of this is coming from_

_I thought that we were fine…"_

(Mel) "_Oh, we had everything…"_

(Dean) _"Your head is running wild again_

_My dear, we still have everything_

_And it's all in your mind…"_

(Mel) _"Yeah, this is happenin'…"_

(Dean) _"You've been havin' real bad dreams_

_Oh oh, you still lie so close to me_

_Oh oh there's nothing more than empty sheets…"_

(Both)_ "Between our love, our love! Oh, our love, our love!_

_Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough_

_Just a second, we're not broken just bent_

_And we can learn to love again…"_

(Dean) _"I've never stopped_

_You're still written in the scars on my heart…"_

(Both) "_We're not broken just bent_

_And we can learn to love again!" _

Now, their bodies were pressed against one another in an almost needy embrace, Dean holding Melilah's hands to his chest as she felt the intense beating of his heart, the air around them heavy and potent as they voiced the inner forbidden realms of their souls. Dean was finally allowing himself to settle and find the one woman who could keep him happy, and Melilah was discovering the world she had never been able to find until she had met the man who could free her. Their song called out into the night, the moonbeams dancing around them merrily. Dean would have noticed, but Melilah's bright purple eyes had utterly captured his own sage green hues.

(Mel) _"Oh, tear ducts and rust…"_

(Dean) _"I'll fix it for us..."_

(Mel) _"We're collecting dust, but our love's enough!"_

(Dean) "_You're holding it in…"_

(Mel) _"You're pouring a drink!"_

(Dean) _"Now nothing is as bad as it seems…!"_

(Mel) "_We'll come clean!"_

(Both) _"Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough_

_ Just a second, we're not broken just bent_

_ And we can learn to love again! _

_ It's in the stars_

_ It's been written in the scars_

_ On our hearts_

_ That we're not broken just bent_

_ And we can learn to love again…"_

By now, their foreheads were resting on one another with both of their eyes closed with tears threatening to spill over. Melilah's arms were up and clasped together behind Dean's neck, she needing to stand on her tiptoes to reach his height. Her vessel was naturally shorter, but it was an easy fit between them. Dean's hands were locked at the small of her back, pulling her body into his own. His head was tilted down to meet her own, his 6'1 frame hovering at least a head over her 5'5. They held each other like they could never let go, that if they released the other they would disappear forever.

They both knew now that they needed one another, that they were to journey down the road of life together and for Melilah to fulfill her destiny as his protector. No angel, demon, leviathan, or any other monster would stop that. Melilah's wet, purple eyes opened to see Dean's still sealed tight, and she shifted the connection on their foreheads so her face tilted even closer to his, her lips whispering just one more chord before they would meet Dean's in a glorious, passionate welcoming.

_"We're not broken just bent… and we can learn to love again."_

**_Song: "Just Give Me A Reason" _**

**_Artists: P!nk and Nate Ruess_**

_**Album: "Truth about Love" **_


	13. Clarity

**_A/N I'm going to be more diligant with my disclaimers and my updates, I swear! Thanks for all of the wonderful support, my pets~ WARNING: SMUT AHOY! I apologize for my lack of posts, it's been a tough year and it's easy for me to lose motivation (even harder to find it again). But I appreciate your patience! Alright, onwards!_**

_High dives into frozen waves where the past comes back to life…_

And then they were kissing.

_Fight fear for the selfish pain, it was worth it everytime…_

Up until this point, Melilah hadn't ever experienced anything like this. In her five thousand years of existence, she had never kissed anyone. Mainly because she was a Phoenix and was far too busy hunting demons and monsters to stop and figure out what love might be. But she couldn't describe her joy in Dean being the first man to ever receive her passion. Her belly turned to mush and her whole body lit up in lights. Her instincts kicked in and as she felt Dean's mouth open and his tongue ask for entry, she granted it.

_Hold still right before we crash, 'cause we both know how this ends…_

Their tongues lashed out against one another, battling for control as their bodies pressed even tighter against the other. A low moan sounded out from Dean's throat, and it made Melilah shudder with arousal. She knew perfectly well what these things progressed to, and how they happened. But it was a completely different experience when it was actually _happening_. She felt comfortable warmth spread through her veins and a wetness collect in between her thighs. If this was what being turned on felt like, she wanted to do this a _lot_ more often. Melilah's slender fingers wove their way into Dean's hair and tugged gently to push his face even more into her own. Dean responded with a satisfied grunt, his hands grabbing onto her almost possessively.

_A clock ticks till it breaks your glass, and I drown in you again…_

His hands groped down to cup each of her ass cheeks, the Phoenix responding beautifully with a moan right into his mouth, which Dean eagerly swallowed up. He hadn't expected her to react so well to something he knew her to never have experienced before. When she was still in their little group, she and Dean had shared a tender moment on the Impala's roof during a sunrise, where she had confessed to him that she hadn't ever been with anyone before. With, as in, made love to or even shared any intimate physical contact _with_. He had respected –or feared- her enough to not push anything onto her in case she wasn't ready. But she felt ready now, even as their tongues battled fiercely in between one another and their hands grabbed and searched the other's body.

_'Cause you are the piece of me… I wish I didn't need…_

It blew even Melilah's mind how well she was reacting. It was like a long lost memory had come rushing back into her, and by some miracle, she had allowed her body to take control of what it wanted. What it wanted was Dean. What _she_ wanted was Dean. The thought shifted through her head as she grabbed onto him tighter, one hands slithering through his hair and the other locked firmly at the small of his back as she kept their hips close. She could feel a strange heat stirring beneath his clothes, and she felt something stiff prod her thigh through the denim of his jeans. Instinctually, without breaking their fiery kiss, she pushed her thigh back against his groin, and she smiled as she heard him groan in his throat. So… _this_ is what caused men to weaken. She had always known that all male specie had one true objective in mind: breed, mate, reproduce. Things were designed that way for many reasons, but Melilah had seen that this instinct in men had been the downfall of so many nations.

_Chasing relentlessly, still fight, and I don't know why…_

But her train of thought was soon lost as she felt one of Dean's warm hands move to one of her breasts, where he pressed it into her, fingers spreading out ever so slightly to squeeze the soft mound of flesh. Melilah's breath caught in her throat as the caterpillars crawling in her belly turned to outright butterflies. Big ones. Lots of them. Her veins pumped with liquid fire and her heart was beating so fast she felt it might burst from her bosom, which Dean was becoming more and more interested in. But because he was human and kissing the Phoenix literally took his breath away, he had to break away for air, sucking in what he had been lacking. His softly freckled cheeks were flushed a lovely pink and his eyes were glazed over with lust for the redhead. Even though he wasn't kissing her, he still kept their faces pressed together, foreheads and noses nestled against one another as Dean tried to catch his breath and Melilah tried to catch her heart. She smiled as their eyes met, her lavender irises _gleaming_ brightly. Dean returned the smile, not holding back as he pressed another very heated kiss to her lips. He had partaken of her drug, and there was no turning back now.

_If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?_

"Melilah…"

"Dean…"

_If our love is insanity, why are you my clarity?_

Their names whispered upon the other's lips were enough to break down whatever barriers were still up between the two battle-scarred hunters. Defenses were down, and it was only raw passion that drove them. Taking Dean's face into her hands and kissing him again, Melilah lifted herself into Dean's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and tilting her head down to keep them locked together, Dean's arms knotting under her ass to keep her secured there. Before either of them could realize the sudden shift in their surroundings, Dean felt his knees buckle over what felt like the softest bed he's ever laid in. His back fell to pure clouds, the nimble redhead right onto the top of him. With her legs straddling either sides of Dean's hips, Melilah could feel his hot, throbbing arousal right beneath her own, her hands harshly gripping his leather jacket as she pulled his chest into her. Dean grunted and squeezed her arse harder, his hands trailing down her thighs and back up to her backside again.

_Why are you my remedy? Why are you my clarity?_

"I need to see you…" she moaned out, breaking their kiss momentarily to kiss down and over his jawline. Her hands began to claw at his clothing, desperate to see Dean in all his naked glory. The same went for the latter. "Too many clothes, hm?" chuckled the hunter as the amusedly aroused Phoenix pulled him up from his position so she could toss the jacket away. Dean lifted up his shirt as she disposed of her hoodie, no shirt beneath it, just a lacy black bra that pushed her gorgeous cleavage up. Dean felt himself go from mostly hard to almost painfully stiff in less than a second at the sight of the redhead's beautiful torso. Her skin was fair and unblemished, the moonlight beaming in from some window glowing radiantly off of her perfection. Dean lost the strength to sit up anymore, and so he fell back as his head hit the soft pillow beneath him. He gazed up in wonder as Melilah tossed her long, luscious hair down her back, her purple gaze looking down onto him, smiling that endearingly shy smile she adorned so well.

_Walk on through a red parade, and refuse to make amends…_

"Mel… you're so fucking gorgeous…"moaned the oldest Winchester as his hands slid over her curves, the Phoenix touching his beautifully sculpted chest as he did so. Both of them had waited too long for this, and they wanted to make it last.

_It cuts deep through our ground and makes us forget all common sense…_

"I'd say the same for you, Dean…" she said with a soft smile, lowering herself to lie on top of him, kissing him gently as her breasts pillowed out on contact with his firm, muscular pectorals. Her hands set to work unbuttoning his jeans, gripping both his underwear and his pants when the zipper was undone. Slowly, she began to slide Dean's bottoms off of him, the latter responding eagerly as he pulled his long, strong limbs out of the offending clothing. Melilah's soft, hot mouth left his own to leave a trail of fiery little kisses down his body, each peck like a small bomb in his blood vessels. If those kisses left burns, he'd wear them proudly. As her kisses reached his abdomen, he felt his stomach churning as she went lower and lower, her nose pressing into the small trail of light brown pubic hair as her lips descended towards his thick, achingly throbbing cock.

_Don't speak as I try to leave, 'cause we both know what we'll choose…_

Once her red roses brushed the weeping head, she drew back ever so slightly to just _admire_ the masculine gift before her. She had always known that human genitalia was a wonder in and of itself, but she hadn't ever imagined this before. She had seen her fair share of sculptures and artwork throughout her existence that depicted the beauty of such anatomy, but it was a different story when it was the real thing, mere millimeters from her face. She hadn't done anything like this before, but her instincts were driving here, and it seemed to be going right, so she went with it. Opening her mouth, she let out a breath of held in air, and she couldn't hide a smirk as she felt Dean shudder beneath her, looking down at her with lustfully hooded eyes.

_If you pull and I push too deep, then I'll fall right back to you…_

"Mel… Mel, please… don't tease me…" groaned the human as his strength betrayed him, keeping him under the unintentional influence of the sexy Phoenix as she ghosted her full lips down the shaft and all the way to his heavy sac. Melilah's breath was like the waft of a fire when the wind blows the heat towards someone, and it was so arousing Dean thought he was going to melt. While she was busy down there, he took the moment to look around them. They were in a very nice bedroom somewhere, and judging by the artwork of Phoenixes, scriptural depictions, and skies on the walls, it must be one of Melilah's homes somewhere. If he recalled, she had homes in most of the big cities around the world, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Russia, and Australia. Five thousand years alive, she must've had all the time in the world to live in these places and establish homes all around.

_'Cause you are the piece of me…_

But his thoughts were soon broken as her throat suddenly engulfed him, a near cry escaping Dean's lips as he felt his cock smothered in white-hot, pleasurable flames. Melilah's throat was a furnance of pure passion, so unbelievably hot and erotic it nearly made Dean come on the spot. She propped himself up on his elbows to watch the obscenely arousing sight before him, Melilah sucking so fervently on him like she was starving to death. He had to make sure his jaw hadn't fallen off of his face as he watched her slide her mouth up and down his erection, delicious noises escaping that powerful throat of hers as she practically _devoured _him. She'd occasionally show him a shred of mercy, releasing the shaft to find his weighty scrotum where she would lap at the sensitive flesh like a cat to it's paw.

Way too soon, he felt that tingling in his belly telling him he was close, but he didn't want his first release with her to be in her mouth. He wanted it to be when they joined their bodies together at last. Placing a gentle hand in her hair, Melilah's eyes flickered up to meet his own, a little worry in them as she slowly let his hardness slip from those full wet rubies. Dean shuddered again, trying to form words.

_I wish I didn't need…_

"Keep that up, and I'll lose myself too soon, babe…" he moaned with a weak chuckle, the concern from Melilah's face melting away as she smiled and climbed up towards him, laying at his side, kissing him again for just a few moments before she felt him shift his weight onto the top of her. Slowly, cautiously, he slid her black jeans down her lovely legs, matching lacy black underwear covering what Dean sought the most. But he needed to make her feel good too. Kissing at her neck, his fingers slid under her back to find her bra straps, and Melilah arched herself to allow him easier access. Once he felt the satisfying click of undone clips, he slowly brought the scanty fabric around and down her arms, where he tossed it away into the shadows of the room. Her round, heavy breasts bounced free, crowned with stiff pink teats, which Dean wasted no time in diving down to latch his hungry mouth onto.

_Chasing relentlessly…_

Melilah screeched out musically, her noises pure honey in Dean's ears. She tasted better than he had ever imagined, like hot, fresh cinnamon rolls, or a steaming cherry pie fresh out of the oven. Her taste alone was enough to make a blurt of precome spurt out of him. While his tongue lathered one hard nipple with attention, his other free hand slid from the twin breast and down her stomach until it reached the waistline of her underwear. He felt her whole body tense, and he ceased his fervent sucking to look her in the eyes, watching her looking down at him with a million different emotions crossing her face. Bringing the hand from her waist, he brought it up to hold her cheek, stroking her cheekbone with his thumb.

_Still fight, and I don't know why…_

"If you don't want this, we don't have to do this, Mel…" whispered Dean hoarsely in that gravelly voice of his. The Phoenix was panting heavily, lust glazing her eyes with her lips slightly parted as she shook her head almost violently.

"Need… need this, Dean… need you…"

"Do you trust me, Mel?"

"More than anyone…"

"You are so beautiful, Melilah Firesong… I'm going to make you feel better than you've ever felt, okay?" asked Dean softly as he cupped her jaw, concern for her entering his voice as he waited for her consent to move on. Melilah could only respond with a few nods, and Dean continued his descent towards what he knew would grant her more pleasure than she ever could have expected to experience. His nimble fingers gently pulled down her black lace, Melilah resisting the urge to clench her thighs together. Dean kept his gaze locked with her the entire time until she kicked the fabric off of her ankles. Taking a deep breath, the redhead nodded to Dean, and his gaze left hers to look upon her center of life. A triangle of soft, dark red curls topped a glistening, ripe, untouched maidenhood. Dean never would have taken her for a virgin, given her age and how long she's been around. But a deep part of him almost didn't feel worthy of taking such a precious gift. But the assurance of her needing him to do this pushed most of the doubts away.

_If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?_

Tickling the small patch of hair, he waited for her to make a noise of approval before carefully sliding his fingers into the damp folds, wet heat enveloping the digits as he very softly breached the untouched Phoenix. Her breath hitched, and he kept his eyes on her to watch for any sign of pain. His fingers felt like they were swimming in a velvet volcano. Melilah was the very epitome of warmth. Both figuratively and literally. She had welcomed the boys into her life, offered them help and kept them safe when they had no others. Ever since Bobby died, it was hard to trust anyone. She had made both Dean and Sam feel alright. She was a gift Dean rejected ever having pushed away. Slowly, he pushed one finger into the tight canal, Melilah moaning out appreciatively. He wiggled it around for a good minute, getting her accustomed to having something intruding such a sacred area, but she was taking it like a champ. Softly, he slid his middle finger inside with his index, scissoring her out ever so gently.

_If our love is insanity, why are you my clarity?_

Melilah's patience grew thin much too quickly, and she found herself craving more and more from Dean, her body experiencing a pleasure she could scarce describe. And her vocabulary was quite colorful too, so that was saying something. All she could do was lie there and take what her first-time lover was offering her. Dean felt like he was going to come just with the way she was withing beneath him and the positively exquisite noises she was making. He held on with whatever strength he had left and pulled his fingers out. When Melilah looked down at him, her hair disheveled and arms above her head, she looked like she was on the edge of climax, her cheeks flushed a lovely pink. She looked like she was pouting, and Dean couldn't help but smile. He climbed over her, positioning himself at her entrance, the head of his cock barely kissing her folds. He cradled her face into his hands, and she sturdied her own on his strong biceps. Their eyes locked together, both of them hungry for passion and for each other.

_Why are you my remedy?_

"Are you ready, Mel?" Dean asked softly, his fingers curving down through her soft hair to hold the back of her head. Taking one more deep breath, Melilah gave him her special shy smile, gripping him a little tighter as she spread her legs a little more for him, ready to be united with Dean in body at last.

"I'm ready, Dean."

_Why are you my clarity?_


	14. Need You Now

Dean only found that same intensely hot but so beautifully smooth heat as he slid himself into Melilah, groaning out gutturally as the tightness and warmth of a virgin Phoenix allowed him access to a whole new experience. Melilah released a very musical, feminine scream as her hymen tore and Dean took her vessel's virginity. The pain was but a small moment, and her being what she was allowed pain to subside quickly and be minimal. She was grateful for that ability in this moment. Dean's cock was thick and long, filling her inner core with a heat and a power she could scarce describe, and it was the most amazing thing she had ever felt in her whole life.

"Fuck, Dean… yes…" she groaned out, her legs coming up to wrap around his waist to push him deeper. Dean took the hint and began to thrust gently inside of her, the friction her tightness created against his cock absolutely glorious and strong. Her heat coursed through his body and lit him to life, making him _feel_… Dean Winchester was not often one to feel too many emotions when it came to sex. Sex was sex, no strings attatched usually. The only time that was ever slightly true was when he was with Lisa for that year. Then again, she had been that patch after losing Sam. But then Sam stepped back into his life and it was all over. Dean had loved Lisa, in many ways. Just like Sam had loved Jess. But what mattered was that now he was here with a woman who accepted his flaws and made him want to be a better man, a man who felt like he _could_ take on the troubles of the world. Too often had hopelessness gotten the better of him. He couldn't let that happen now. With the phoenix on their side, they could conquer the impossible.

"Shit, Mel… you're so tight…" groaned the man as he kept his hands supported behind her head, his hips gyrating into her pelvis over and over again, wanting to keep this intimate and special for her as he kept their faces close, leaning down to kiss her whenever she'd open her eyes to look at him. As they continued for a good few minutes, Melilah grew impatient and was soon begging for Dean's cock like a bitch in heat.

"For hell's sake… Fuck me, Dean!" exclaimed the aroused redhead as she arched her back up off of the bed. Nodding, Dean very quickly and skillfully changed their positions, switching from the basic missionary position so that one of her legs was lifted up and rested onto his shoulder. Grabbing both of her hips, he shifted himself onto his knees and began to pound into that tightness, his manhood squeezed so perfectly and so gloriously that it took all he had of his stamina to just not release right then. Melilah's oh-so-angelic voice began to spew all kinds of profanities and dirty talk that Dean didn't really know she could possibly have in her, but it only pushed him even more towards the inevitable cliff they were both about to topple over.

"Yeah, Dean… your fucking cock in my pussy… feels so damn good… your so big… fucking hell…. Fuck me, Dean!" exclaimed the phoenix as Dean pushed forward with all he had, slamming his aching, leaking dick into her, which resulted in Melilah screaming out even more, her voice like music to Dean's hungry ears. The room had reached Sahara-like degrees with the passions of their lovemaking, and it was, undoubtedly, the best sex Dean had ever had thus far in his life. But all too soon, that dreaded but tingly feeling in his belly told him he was close, and with the way Melilah was writhing beneath Dean right now wasn't helping in the slightest.

"I'm so close, Mel…"

"Me… me too, Dean…"

"Together, Mel…" groaned out Dean as he held onto her for dear life, making the most out of the few moments he had left. Melilah nodded in response, her palms spread flat against Dean's muscular back. She had always liked Dean's smooth, scar-puckered skin, the grooves of his shoulder blades and his firm, rounded backside. Dean would deny it until he was blue in the face, but he had an adorable ass. Melilah had caught herself staring at it on more than one occasion. As Dean thrusted inside with all he had, she found herself almost exploding with the pleasure he was giving her. She never imagined that sex could be like this. Sure, she knew about sex, knew about how it worked and had even witnessed it happen over the course of her lifetime, but she never thought she'd be one to receive it. But, here she was. She felt her body screaming at her to let it go, and she was about to, but she wanted to let it all go with Dean.

"I'm coming Dean…"

"So am I… God, Mel… so fucking hot…" groaned Dean as they climaxed together, Melilah's inner walls collapsing around Dean's rigid spear as he blew his load and filled her womb with the best orgasm of his life. Melilah cried out a musical chord, her eyes glowing orange as the room momentarily filled with light, but settled as soon as it came. Dean's eyes had been closed, so he had only felt the light's warmth envelop him before he opened his eyes to see Melilah's change from glowing orange back to purple. He released so much of his fertile seed, it dripped out of her. Dean found all his strength leave him as he collapsed onto the top of her, both of them panting heavily.

Dean buried his face into her soft, supple neck as she smoothed her hands over his back comfortingly, a content smile on her face. She had just made love with Dean. And she couldn't be happier. Her heart beat out against his own as he lay on top of her.

"Wow…" he whispered, turning his head to look at her. She chuckled and kissed him. "Wow doesn't even begin to cover it," she said with a smile. Dean smiled back, holding her close to him. "That was incredible, Mel… thank you…"

"Thank _you_, Dean…"

They lay in silence for a while, Dean still seated comfortably inside of her, not wanting to abandon the warmth she provided his cold, often broken body. Melilah's hands found themselves massaging through his hair and smoothing over his back, her voice crooning him to sleep, which Dean did not deny. Just as he was about to fall under, Melilah's voice flowed into his ear, and he fell asleep with a smile on his lips.

"I'm glad it was you."

The next morning, Dean opened his eyes to feel a pair of gloriously soft breasts being used as his pillow, and he smiled contentedly, looking up and around to see a smugly beautiful redhead smirking at him. Dean pushed forward to plant a very soft kiss on her lips, which she gladly returned. He nestled back down onto her, her nails drawing invisible patterns into his back. Dean looked around them, trying to figure out where they were. The bedroom was pretty empty, excluding the few artwork pieces on the wall and the bed. There was a sliding window closet that had very few clothes in there, and then there was a wide window, covered in pale orange curtains. The walls and floor were white, but the curtains were a nice splash of color.

"Hey… where are we, anyway?" asked Dean, his voice sexed out from the previous night. "We're in one of my hidden apartments in London. Figured teleporting us somewhere across the world was better than going back to that motel in Arimo." Dean nodded in agreement.

"We should probably go back, though."

"You need to go back. If Cas sees me come back with you, he'll kill us both." Melilah said with a chuckle, sitting up and pushing her hair behind her back, standing up from the bed. Dean admired her pretty hair falling down her back, all the way to her plump, rounded backside. Only when he found his eyes drifted back up towards her head did he see markings on her shoulder blades in the patches that her hair didn't hide. Tattoos?

"Hey, what's on your back?" he asked. Melilah froze for a moment, but sighed, not even turning around to look at him as she drew all her hair over her shoulder so her back was bare to him. All across her shoulder blades were fantastically and beautifully colored phoenix wings, shaded in orange and red, accented with purple. But in the dead center of each wing, was a circle with a symbol inside of it. One symbol Dean knew very well. It was the same symbol tattooed on his chest. Anti demon possession. But he didn't recognize the other one. Standing from the bed, he walked over and ran his hands gently across her smooth, delicate skin. The wings were so beautiful, he could admire the artwork for hours. But he was still trying to figure out the other symbol. Melilah could tell which symbol he was pondering over as his fingers danced across that specific wing.

"It's an anti-angel possession tattoo. Does the work of an Enochian sigil, keeps me hidden from angels as well." She explained, letting Dean pour over the markings before he turned her around and hugged her to him.

"Melilah. I understand you have a lot to deal with, but you need to know that I want to be with you. You're unlike anyone I've ever met and I know I'm destined to be protected by you. Whether or not you want this, I'll always need you. I'll always want you. I won't force you to be with me. But I feel like we're meant for one another and all I ever crave is you. You're warm. You're loving. You're all Sam and I have ever needed. We both need your love and your protection from these sons of bitches who carry our death sentences daily. We can't do this without you."

"I love you, Dean." Was her quiet response, but Dean only smiled, hugging her tighter.

"I love you too, hot stuff."


End file.
